


North of Salem

by HaleHathNoFury (My_Trex_has_fleas)



Series: The Spark and The Alpha [2]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alpha Derek Hale, Alternate Universe - Dystopia, Emissary Stiles Stilinski, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, Full Shift Werewolves, Good Alpha Derek Hale, Magic, Magical Stiles Stilinski, Multi, Survival, Violence, War, Wolf Pack
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-31
Updated: 2019-07-07
Packaged: 2019-10-01 11:54:30
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 12
Words: 85,130
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17243783
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/My_Trex_has_fleas/pseuds/HaleHathNoFury
Summary: The world is ending in a fight between the supernatural and human worlds. On the front line there are packs that keep the threat at bay and one of them is run by an Alpha wolf and a Spark.





	1. Portland, Oregon

**Author's Note:**

> So I may have been bitten by the dystopia bug :D This is the story of how Derek and Stiles came to be where they are and their lives together.

_Present Day_

Scott couldn’t remember the last time he’d woken peacefully after sleeping a full night. He was still muzzy with sleep when the hand on his shoulder shook him gently into wakefulness and he blinked to clear his eyes, seeing an amused smile he recalled all too well.

‘You still sleep like the dead.’ Stiles’ brown eyes were warm. ‘And you still snore like a goddamn water buffalo.’

Scott sat up, looking around the room. It was one of the mausoleum offices, now packed with bunk beds and turned into a dormitory. He spotted the rest of his pack, bar Melissa, Lydia and Parrish. They had all gone to the infirmary with Thea, Ben’s mate who’d used to be a doctor before the Awakening and who now functioned as the pack’s medic.

‘What time is it?’ he asked and Stiles stood up and looked towards the window were anaemic grey light filtered through.

‘A little after noon.’ he replied. ‘We’re going on patrol soon and I thought you might like to come with, see what we’re dealing with out here.’ He shrugged. ‘But if you’d like to catch up on your sleep, I certainly won’t blame you.’

‘No.’ Scott swung his legs over the end of the bed. Above him, Liam made a soft snorting noise and rolled over. ‘I’d like to see.’

He was curious, in spite of his residual anger at having found Stiles here like this. There hadn’t been time for talk. Ben had taken him back to his pack, steered them into a makeshift canteen and given them food, a chance to shower and some clean clothing. After that, Scott could barely recall anything, his own exhaustion overtaking everything else until he’d collapsed in his assigned bunk and passed out.

‘Okay then.’ Stiles smile was tentative. ‘Look I know this has been a lot to take in. I wouldn’t blame you if you wanted to just keep it neat.’

‘I have questions.’ Scott admitted. ‘And I also think we’ve got some things we need to hash out, maybe. But I’d be lying if I said I haven’t missed your dumb ass.’

‘Yeah?’ Now the smile changed and got brighter. ‘Me too, buddy.’

**********

Derek glanced up from his breakfast and raised an eyebrow as Peter slid into the seat opposite him. His blue eyes were twinkling in a way that said he was up to no good at all.

‘So the prodigal son has rolled into town.’ he observed and Derek snarled at him, raising his lip to reveal one sharp fang as he flashed his eyes.

Peter.’ His tone was warning. ‘Leave it.’

‘Please.’ Peter leaned across and stole a dried apricot from Derek’s oatmeal. ‘Like your hackles haven’t been up since the second you smelled him.’

‘That is not the point.’ Derek growled. ‘I’m just ansty because he’s an alpha in my territory.’

‘Bullshit.’ Peter snorted with a wide grin. ‘You and Ben have absolutely no problem co-existing. Your mutual love-in makes me physically ill on occasion. No, this is because you’re still mad at how he treated Stiles and you’re in overprotective mode.’

‘He’s right.’ Chris added, coming up behind Derek and clapping him on the shoulder. ‘I’m human and I can smell the territoriality coming off you.’

‘Thank you, babe.’ Peter said in a smug tone that made Derek want to punch him in the face. He gave Chris a brief kiss when he sat down and then turned back to Derek. ‘See? I’m not wrong.’

‘No, but you’re still an asshole.’ Derek muttered and glared at him. He knew he was being childish but he was going to deny it to his grave. ‘Anyway they’ll be moving on in a few days.’

‘Oh no.’ Peter’s smile turned wolfish. ‘Have you told Isaac? He’ll be crushed.’

‘I hate to say it, but maybe this is providence,’ Chris said, jabbing his spoon in Derek’s direction. ‘God knows, we could use some back up. It’s getting hairy out there.’

‘I second that.’ Peter was nodding agreement. ‘He’s also got a hellhound and a banshee with him. They’d be very handy, not to mention that adorable little chimera.’

Derek narrowed his eyes at them but they were both completely unfazed and he cursed the day he’d ever thought them being mated would make his life easier. It was like having the old guys from the Muppets in his pack. He was about to reply when Cora came into the canteen and strode over looking more than a little murderous.

‘McCall?’ Her eyes flashed. ‘Seriously, that asshole is here?’

‘Leave it, Cora.’ Derek growled. ‘You know we give sanctuary to everyone.’

‘Even backstabbing assholes?’ Cora had her hands on her hips and for a second Derek was blown away by how much like Laura she looked and sounded. ‘You know what he did to Stiles.’

‘People change, Cora.’ Peter said. ‘Just look at me.’

‘Well, that’s a steaming pile of shit.’ Cora snarled. ‘You’re still a dick.’

‘Cora.’ Derek sighed. ‘Look, they’ll be gone in a few days. It’s just for now.’ He appreciated Cora’s anger, her own protectiveness for Stiles. They were close, had been since she’d come back and found out they were mated.

‘I hope so. I don’t want them starting shit.’ Cora grumbled, sitting down and folding her arms. The pout on her face was adorable, so reminiscent of the child she’d been before the fire, and Derek couldn’t resist. He hooked one foot around her chair and dragged her close, both arms going around her and his nose burying itself in her neck and breathing in her _sisterpackfamily_ scent.

‘Okay, scary wolf.’ he murmured and she growled softly in reply.

‘Someone has to look after your dumb ass.’ she muttered, snuggling back against him. ‘Now, your future niece or nephew needs food so be a good alpha and get me some breakfast.’

‘Isn’t that what your mate is for?’ Derek chuckled, his ears tuning into the soft fluttering heartbeat inside her. He was giddy at the thought of being an uncle, of welcoming the first new cub into his pack, and Cora exploited that weakness shamelessly.

‘He’s busy going over the patrol route.’ Cora replied. ‘Now mush, big brother.’

Derek rolled his eyes at her but obeyed, ignoring the snickers from the other side of the table. Really, Peter and Chris were like those bitchy uncles in terrible romcoms. It wasn’t right to be so snarky during the apocalypse.

***********

‘This place is huge.’ Scott looked around him and Stiles grinned. He enjoyed this part, showing people coming through just how well they were established and how string their defences were. He wasn’t so humble as to not take pleasure in the strength of his wards and his pack and how it kept them alive.

‘There are more buildings.’ he explained. ‘We took over the entire complex. We’ve even got our own smallholding and the wolves hunt all the meat we need. There’s a supply chain that brings stuff down from Canada too, but that’s only as often as it’s safe to come down.’

‘This is incredible.’ Scott looked more than a little shell-shocked and Stiles felt sympathetic. He’d heard enough about how bad things were below the line.

‘What happened to everyone else?’ he asked.

‘Deaton’s dead.’ Scott told him. ‘He was shot by hunters on our way out. The rest of the town kind of went to shit when the Awakening started. The Nemeton went nuclear.’

‘Yeah.’ Stiles nodded. ‘I felt that go down.’

‘Malia went back into the wild.’ Scott added. ‘Hayden got killed, we think. Satomi’s whole pack got wiped out. Natalie Martin was killed too and Liam’s parents.’ He didn’t need to say anymore. Stiles knew how much collateral damage there had been.

‘I’m sorry.’ He shrugged. ‘It must have been tough.’ He desperately wanted to ask about Theo but the vacant look on Scott’s face told him it wasn’t the right time.

‘It would have been easier if you had been there.’ There was a little bit of bite to Scott’s words. ‘If you hadn’t left.’

So much for it not being the right time.

‘You know why I left.’ Stiles reeled in his anger, reaching out to find the warm pull of Derek and using it to settle himself.

‘I know.’ Scott was getting defensive. ‘And yeah, maybe trusting Theo wasn’t the best idea. But you abandoned us, man. How the hell did you even think that was okay?’

Stiles opened his mouth to protest and was immediately cut off by a furious hiss. For once, he was more than happy to hear it.

‘McCall?’ Jackson sounded pissed. ‘What the fuck are you doing here? And why is Lydia in a near fucking coma?’ He came storming down the corridor, scales fading in and out along the side of his face. Behind him, Ethan was jogging to keep up.

‘Jacks.’ He looked at Stiles and his entire face was a picture of exasperation. ‘Calm down, baby.’

‘Don’t you baby me.’ Jackson snapped and got right in Scott’s face. ‘How the fuck did you let that happen?’

‘You left!’ Scott snarled, eyes crimson. ‘You don’t get to judge me!’

‘You always were a lying shit!’ Jackson’s fangs were down, his claws out and his eyes flaring blue. ‘You think I wanted to leave? I left because I knew I would never be safe in that fucking town and she should have gone with me!’

Stiles heaved a sigh and moved to get between them. He didn’t need to though because the next second the corridor reverberated with a roar that shook the windows. Even Scott fell back at the power in it and Jackson and Ethan instantly bared their necks in submission.

‘Jesus fuck.’ Derek’s face was a picture. ‘It’s like fucking high school all over again.’

‘It’s fine.’ Stiles said. ‘Jackson’s working through his residual guilt and Scott’s realising that he was an ass for taking Theo’s side.’

‘What?’ Scott was outraged. ‘I never said that!’

‘Fuck.’ Derek pinched the bridge of his nose. ‘Can we just go on fucking patrol please?’

‘I concur.’ Chris moved past him, shouldering his rifle. Peter was just behind them and for the first time, Scott frowned. He looked at the wolves again and his confusion was clear to see.

‘You’re all going on patrol like that?’ he asked and Stiles snickered. Then again, the fact that all of them were naked was probably a little odd.

‘Nice to see your powers of observation are still going strong.’ He grinned as Cora and Zach joined them and Scott went a violent shade of red as he frantically averted his eyes. ‘Watch.’

He looked at Derek, grinning and getting a fond eye roll in reply before Derek shifted. It was effortless now and in the time it took to blink there was a massive wolf standing in his place. He was magnificent as an alpha, twice the size of a normal wolf and with a coat that gleamed pure black but for the silver at his chin. His ruby red eyes flashed once and the others followed. Peter was sleek, his coat a mix of iron grey and silver. Ethan was larger and lighter in colour while Jackson was elegant and close to white. Cora looked a lot like Derek, although her coat shaded to deep brown at her neck and belly. Zach was mottled black and tan and grey, almost dwarfing her slender form.

‘Holy shit.’ Scott’s eyes were like saucers. ‘You’re all full shift.’ He looked astonished when he turned to Stiles. ‘How is that even possible? Bitten wolves can’t full shift.’

Stiles winked at him.

‘Magic,’ he replied.

*********

Noah paced the lobby, listening to the exchange and waiting for his son and son-in-law to stop grandstanding so they could leave. He rubbed his muzzle along his foreleg, shaking out his tan, cream and silver coat before looking at Luke, who was lying at the door with his head on his paws. Derek’s Right Hand was almost as big as Derek was, his fur silver over black. Next to him, Isaac yawned to expose his fangs and the bright pink of his mouth. He was tawny red, streaked through with black and as rangy as a wolf as he was as a human.

‘Christ sake’s.’ Erin shook her head and shouldered her rifle. ‘Can we get going already?’ She directed the words towards the corridor that lead to the temporary living quarters and Noah knew that Derek and Stiles would hear her.

‘So where are we going?’ Kelly, Ben’s youngest and Erin’s heir apparent, was pacing as well. She was tall and strong and had long lost her teenage gangliness, her own Spark fast maturing into a formidable power.

‘Out along the 30 until Holbrook and then west.’ Erin replied, lazily scratching at an ear. Being with wolves for so long had her acting a lot like one. ‘You’re going to check the wards on the north perimeter.’

‘Ooh.’ Kelly’s bright smile made Noah give her one of his own, tongue lolling as he chuffed at the girl’s enthusiasm. She was so much like Stiles, but he’d come to learn that all that excess energy and the speed of light mind was something common to all Sparks. ‘I can’t wait. I’ve been wanting to try out a couple of new things.’

‘Keep it simple.’ Erin cautioned, but the sparkle in her eyes belied her tone. ‘We don’t want a repeat of last time you and Stiles decided to get ‘creative’.’

‘That was entirely his fault.’ Kelly lied with a perfectly straight face and Erin laughed.

‘Sure it was.’ She nudged Luke’s prone form with the toe of her boot. ‘Hey, wake up. They’ve stopped arguing.’

Luke grumbled and rose to his feet, shaking himself and then padding over to nose at Isaac. There was the distinctive skitter of claws on stone and the rest of the pack came into the lobby, moving easily like water flowing along a riverbed.

Derek was in front and Luke fell into place beside him and a step back, mirroring Peter’s position. Isaac was with Cora and Zach and Noah went to trot behind Jackson and Ethan. He’d always been the rear man on patrols when he was in the army and it felt natural to him to take this position.

Stiles and Chris emerged and Noah was tickled to see a completely amazed Scott with them, his mouth practically hanging open as he watched the pack move. Erin held open the doors, standing against one and using her magic to wedge the other, and Derek trotted out first, head tilting up to scent the air before he whuffed softly and broke into a canter. Noah glanced back at his son and caught the sly grin before he followed, running to stay in formation.

***********

‘How do we keep up with them?’ Scott asked and Stiles winked at Erin. She was hiding a smile, as was Kelly, both of them clearly amused by Scott’s reaction.

‘We drive,’ he replied and gestured to the blue Jeep parked outside the mausoleum. Erin and Kelly got into the back while Chris went to take the other vehicle parked behind the Jeep. He pulled out and drove past them, giving them all a little salute.

‘Jesus.’ Scott’s eyes couldn’t possibly get any wider. ‘It’s still going?’

‘Magic helps.’ Stiles went over and got into the driver’s then leaned out the window. ‘You coming?’

Scott nodded, getting in and slamming the door shut before sitting in silence.

‘Cat got his tongue?’ Kelly laughed and Stiles smiled.

‘I think he’s still processing.’ he said and started the engine with a wave of his hand. ‘Come on, Scott. Get your ass in or stay behind.’

Scott finally moved to get in the passenger side, his eyes immediately fixing on the picture Stiles had stuck to the dash. It had been taken Senior year in a time when things had been very different and Stiles didn’t stop him when he reached out and ran his fingers over their faces, caught smiling for once.

‘See?’ Stiles felt a lump in his throat. ‘I didn’t forget. I also just didn’t forgive.’

‘No.’ Scott looked at him. ‘We still need to talk about this.’

‘Later.’ Stiles pulled out onto the drive and followed it through the trees, catching glimpses of the pack running alongside. ‘Right now we need to patrol.’

***********

Derek took the northern track. He loped along, setting a steady pace that the whole pack was able to keep up with. As alpha, he was faster than all of them and the boost that Stiles’ power gave him made him confident and assured as he ran through the trees.

He tracked the sound of the Jeep and the beat of Stiles’ heart easily, listening to the chatter of the three Sparks inside with one ear. They were having their usual conversation, discussing the wards that they would be renewing. It was a weekly task and Derek knew it was only due in a few days, but he had his suspicions that Stiles was going to be showing off a little. Scott was silent, listening to them talk. His heartbeat was an unsettled thump and the jealous, petty part of Derek revelled in his unease.

_You never valued what you had. You took and took and took and gave him nothing back. Your arrogance and self-righteousness drove away your best friend and strongest ally and he came to me. I have always seen him for what he is and you’re never getting him back._

An amused chuff from his left caught his attention and he glanced across to see Peter running alongside him, tongue hanging out in a wolfy smile. It irked Derek ,especially knowing that Peter had never lost the ability to read him like a book. He also knew that Peter held his own grudges against the wolf he had turned.

On his other side, Luke growled in reproach. He was a hard man, used to military discipline and chasing his own demons, joining the marines after his pack had been decimated by hunters. His blue eyes had been hard earned, a mission gone horribly wrong, and he’d taken an honourable discharge. The Shermans had taken him in and he and Derek had found something that bonded them closer than brothers. His attitude towards Peter was that he was best kept close and supervised and not to be trusted.

It made for interesting pack dynamics.

**********

Melissa woke up, nearly toppling off her chair at Lydia’s bedside. She looked up to see Thea standing and taking Lydia’s pulse. She smiled at Melissa in a reassuring way and Melissa relaxed. She’d spent a long time talking to Thea the night before, until sheer exhaustion caught up with her and she’d more or less passed out in her chair.

‘She’s sleeping better.’ Thea laid Lydia’s hand back on the covers. ‘She needs rest and to recover her strength. She’s very thin.’

‘She doesn’t eat much.’ Melissa sighed. ‘I try but it’s hard getting her to focus.’

‘I’m not surprised.’ Thea glanced at the scar on Lydia’s temple. ‘I’m amazed she has as many faculties as she does.’

‘I wish we could do more.’ Melissa stretched. ‘But she’s immune to the bite and I have no idea what I could do to make things better.’

‘You’ve done enough.’ Thea put a warm hand on her shoulder and then looked at the bed next to them where Parrish was laid out and sleeping like the dead. ‘He’s very loyal.’

‘He loves her.’ Melissa allowed herself a small smile. ‘He burnt down the whole place to get her out. She saved him from being possessed by the Wild Hunt. Then the Awakening happened and things just got...bad.’

‘He smells like fire and ashes.’ Thea said, her nostrils flaring so subtly it was almost unnoticeable and Melissa idly wondered how her enhanced sense of smell helped her with diagnosis. ‘He’s not like anything I’ve come across before. Hellhounds are few and far between.’

‘You know about him?’ Melissa asked.

‘We know about all of you.’ Thea smiled. ‘Stiles is a talker.’

‘Yes, I remember.’ Melissa felt sad, knowing how much she’d missed. Stiles had been like her son and she’d taken his departure far harder than she’d ever told Scott. She’d missed Noah too, a good friend who’s chosen his son over the town that was slowly destroying him. She often thought that if she’d been stronger, she might have done the same.

‘Come on.’ Thea helped her up. ‘You look like you could use a hot meal, a shower and a long ass nap. We’ve got her now.’

Melissa took one last look at her sleeping charges and then followed her out the room. It was the old storage room, right at the back next to the embalming suite. It was quiet and as they walked out, another woman was coming down. She was shorter and had caramel coloured hair, her warm brown eyes full of sympathy when she saw how Melissa was stumbling along.  
‘You need to sleep, hon.’ she said and Melissa nodded.

‘Thea’s got me in hand.’ she replied and Ana grinned. She was Mal’s mate, not a wolf but something else not human. Nobody had said what exactly but Melissa could tell from the way she moved and the way her head tilted as she listened to movement above them.

‘The twins are making pancakes.’ she said to Thea. ‘I think Melissa could use some.’

‘Good thinking.’ Thea smiled. ‘You got the next shift?’

‘I’ll call you if there’s any change.’ Ana said and carried on past them.

Up on the first floor, they found the twins cooking in the makeshift canteen. Melissa was amazed to see what they were able to do with what amounted to scavenged rations, but the milk and eggs were fresh. She looked at Thea and Thea smiled.

‘We have goats and chickens.’ she explained and her twins gave her a grin. ‘It’s their job to look after them.’

‘Beats school.’ The boy was mixing batter. He was tall, like his parents, his black eyes full of mischief. His sister was quieter, but her manner was distinctly more authoritarian as well. Melissa had had a brief introduction and knew their names were Zooey and Colby, but not anything else. They were around thirteen judging from their appearance but Melissa had come to know that wolf growth rates were completely different to human ones and so there was no telling.

‘Alpha’s still sleeping.’ Zooey said. ‘You want me to go wake him for breakfast?’

‘No.’ Thea kissed the top of her daughter’s head. ‘Let him sleep. It’s been a long few days. Are the babies with him?’

‘Him and Mal.’ Colby replied. ‘They’re all piled in the crash room.’

They made the pancakes, Melissa watching form the long trestle table. When Thea brought her a plate stacked high, with maple syrup drizzled over them, and a tin mug of coffee sweetened with condensed milk she nearly cried in gratitude.

‘This is amazing.’ She inhaled the sweet smells and then dug in. ‘It feels like it’s been forever.’

‘Being on the road is like that.’ Thea was sitting opposite with her own food and the twins were on either side of her. ‘It’s hard.’

‘It is.’ Melissa sighed. ‘I think that shower is going to be very welcome.’  
‘I got Ana to bring some clean clothes over too.’ Thea told her. ‘Yours can get washed, once they get back.’

‘Who’s going to get them?’ Melissa was curious.

‘Derek and Stiles have gone on patrol with their pack.’ Thea explained. ‘They’ve taken Scott with them. They’ll make a stop at your vehicles and pick up everything you had to leave last night.’

‘Won’t the hunters have scavenged everything?’ Melissa asked and saw the three wolves al grin at each other.

‘No.’ Thea’s eyes flashed gold in satisfaction. Those hunters that attacked you last night are all dead. Stiles never leaves them alive. He’s...pretty ruthless.’

‘And any that got past would get caught on the border.’ Colby added. ‘WE have a patrol out here as well.’

‘Actually they should be coming in today.’ Thea smiled at him and then looked at Melissa. ‘You’ll be able to meet the whole pack.’

‘There’s so many of you.’ Melissa said. ‘I’m kind of amazed.’

‘This is what packs are supposed to look like.’ Thea replied. ‘But we have also got an unusual arrangement here. Ben and Derek are suckers for strays and if they can pull their weight and help out, anyone that comes through is welcome to stay.’

‘And if not?’ Melissa asked. ‘What then?’

‘Then they move on to head for Canada or we deal with it.’ Another eyes flash, this one not so amenable. ‘But even before the Awakening, we took people in. It’s how Derek and Stile and Noah all ended up with us.’

Melissa’s heart did a little thump at Noah’s name. She had missed him terribly and had only had a short hello before he’d had to leave the building. She saw the wolves all grinning.

‘It’s not like that.’ she said immediately and Thea shrugged.

‘It could be.’ she replied. ‘Things change in trying times.’

**********

‘Okay, first stop.’ Stiles slowed the Jeep at the corner of what had been I30 and the turn into another road off the left. There was ruined clapboard house on the corner and a stretch of water in the grounds behind it. Across from the house, there were a couple of burned out trucks and a bullet pocked sign that read Logie Trail.

He turned in and parked in the drive of the house, and they all got out. Scott was slower than the others, looking around him and sniffing the air. Stiles knew that it would smell odd, the ozone stink of magic thick in the air.

‘Batter up.’ Erin gave Kelly a playful shove. ‘Come on then, hot shot. Show us what you got.’

Stiles took his bat from next to the seat and shouldered it. He didn’t like firearms even now, although he was well used to using them. His bat was more than enough anyway. Erin liked to be armed to the teeth, but then she’d been a cop in a past life before she’d joined the Sherman pack so it came naturally to her. Kelly had her quarterstaff, made of mountain ash like his bat and carved with the same ruins that Erin had taught them. The enchanted wood was harder than any metal and immune to anything that might break it.

‘So, I had this idea.’ She walked to the single stone marker they had set into the ground. It was warm to the touch, as warm as blood, and it made Stiles’ fingers tingle when he brushed them over the top of it. This was his work, but they were teaching Kelly to ward on a larger scale now and so she was encouraged to experiment. Stiles could always set things right if she messed them up.

They were alone out here. The wolves and Chris would have taken the Northwest Broadway bridge across to the suburbs. Their border patrol team was due to be back on Hayden Island and Chris would pick them up and bring them back in. They would be bringing supplies from further north where they came down via the I5. Supply runs were always good, and Stiles hoped fervantly that they would bring sweets of some kind. While the US was a mess, most of Europe, Africa and Asia was still going and supplies got around.

Kelly’s voice tuned him back in and he saw how Scott was watching intently as the young Spark started to weave her magic into a ward. It was a complicated process that required an ability to mentally picture the boundaries of their territory and lay down a protective line of magic in conjunction with the natural ley lines of the area. The ones they used had been laid down by the very first inhabitants. Mitch, Ewan and Eloise were all extremely sensitive to them in a way the other wolves were not and they had been the ones to show them the lines when they’d first started warding, sniffing them out and leaving a trail of white sand to follow. They were Straits Salish, all of them orphaned by hunters as well and then taken in by the Shermans, and their heritage meant they were more able to use the wolf magic that European packs had largely forgotten.  
‘Like this?’ Erin was asking. She was crouched by the stone, her hands glowing with white light as she fed her magic into the wards on its carved surface.

‘Yeah.’ Kelly wa smiling. ‘Stiles?’

‘Sure.’ He came to stand next to her and she took his hand, placing it on the stone and then directing his other one south. ‘What do you need?’

‘The stream is going to run along both ways.’ Kelly explained. ‘Erin’s going to be the conduit, you direct east and I’ll take west. If this works, we can run the entire border in one go without having to stop at each marker stone.’

‘Wow.’ Stiles grinned, horribly impressed. ‘That would be amazing.’

‘I’ve been working on it for a couple of weeks now.’ Kelly’s dark eyes were sparkling. ‘I think it’s going to work.’

‘What are you doing?’ Scott had finally broken his vow of silence, clearly too curious to keep quiet anymore.

‘So our territory runs along the lines from here to Rockaway Beach, then south to Newport and around and up through Salem. On the other side it skirts along the opposite bank of the Columbia and then joins up at Salem.’ Stiles explained. ‘Anyone that comes over it, trips the alarm system. We know that they’re here and we can track them.’

‘Wouldn’t it be better to keep everyone out?’ Scott asked, frowning.

‘Well no, we need to keep people coming in.’ Erin replied. ‘This tells us what kind of people are coming in through, and so we can intercept and check them out. Some are friendly and some are hunters, but the hunters don’t ever make it out the other side.’ Her smile was razor sharp.

‘You kill all of them?’ Scott asked and Stiles bristled at the way he said it. The judgement was still there, simmering under the surface as usual. ‘Just like that, no questions asked?’

‘Yes.’ Erin didn’t hesitate to answer. ‘They kill us, so we kill them. No exceptions. These are not good people, they are hunters.’

‘Some of them might have good reason to be like that though. Don’t they deserve a chance to fight too?’ Scott countered and, just like that, Stiles was right back in the rain listening to Scott doing the same damn thing.

_What are you even talking about? I didn’t have a choice Scott. You don’t even believe me do you?_

_I want to._

_Okay, alright so believe me then. Scott, say you believe me. Say it. Say you believe me._

_Stiles, we can’t kill people that we’re trying to save._

_Say you believe me._

_We can’t kill people! Do you believe that?_

_What do I do about this? What do you want me to do okay? Scott, just tell me how to fix this alright? Please just tell me what do you want me to do?_

He inhaled sharply, the anger and betrayal bubbling up inside him in a way it hadn’t in years.

‘Stiles?’ Kelly’s voice as full of concern but when he looked at her, she was blurry. He could feel his Spark latching onto the instability inside him and then he was being thrown through the air, like being struck by a wrecking ball, clear across the road where he landed hard in the grass. All the air was knocked out of him and there was a deafening buzzing in his ears.

‘Fuck!’ He saw Erin kneeling over him. Her hazel eyes were flaring violet, purple fire rippling down her arms as she held him down and he realised he was spasming like he was having a fit. ‘Kelly!’

‘On it!’ Kelly had his legs and was holding him down as Erin caught his face between her hands and then it was like someone had thrown a thick blanket over him, blocking out light and muffling sound. The power inside him slowed, retreating until he could get hold of it and dampen it right down to a controllable level.

‘Good boy.’ Erin’s voice was soothing. ‘I’m going to take my hands off now. You okay?’

‘Yeah.’ Stiles managed to croak, and then the light came back. He blinked furiously to clear his vision, and then sat up. His head was pounding and he could feel the sudden rush of fear and worry through his mate bond. ‘Shit. Derek knows.’

‘Oh great.’ Erins mouth twisted. ‘I’m guessing the cavalry will be here soon.’ She glared at Scott. ‘You, go stand over by the Jeep!’

‘I…’ Scott’s face was stricken but Erin growled at him as fiercely as any wolf and her eyes flashed again.

‘Now!’ She hauled Stiles to his feet, taking his weight. ‘I’ve got an out of control Spark to sort out and you’re pretty much the catalyst for this so fuck off out of my sight.’ She was practically spitting the words and Stiles felt sorry for Scott for just a second. He wouldn’t know that Erin had been in Stiles’ head, that there were even fewer secrets between them than there were between him and Derek. Her protectiveness came from a place where she knew what Stiles had gone through and the pain he’d suffered.

‘Stiles…’ Scott started to protest but Kelly went and took his arm.

‘Just do what she says.’ she told him, gentle as she always was. ‘You can’t help here and you’ll just make things worse.’

She took him back to the Jeep and Erin watched them go, her eyes boring into Scott’s back.

‘Asshole.’ she muttered and Stiles snorted and leaned into her. For someone a full head and shoulders shorter than him, she was incredibly sturdy.

‘Thanks Mama Bear.’ he murmured and she put her arm around him.

‘Anytime, kiddo.’ she replied. ‘Come on, you need to take a break and then we can try again. That’ll give your loverwolf a chance to get here.’

‘He hates it when you call him that.’ Stiles said, letting her guide him across the grass.

‘Why do you think I do it?’ Erin said, giving him a sidelong grin.

*********

Derek ran as hard and fast as he could. He’d felt the snap of magic as surely as if he’d stuck his finger in a socket, the pain that had surged through his mating bond with Stiles enough to stop him in his tracks.

He’d been at the northernmost part of Kelley Point sniffing around for a herd of blacktail deer when it had happened and he’d taken off like a shot. Luke had barked after him once, but the pack was connected enough to both him and Stiles that they would have also felt something was off. He heard Luke’s howl go up as soon as he got to the bank of the river, plunging into the water and swimming across without even thinking twice.

It was a good half hour’s run as the crow flew, then across the Sauvie Island bridge and along the railway tracks. In his mind, he could feel Stiles’ fatigue but he could also feel him calming down. There was something else too that lingered on the edge of Stiles’ consciousness, something that made Derek shiver. Erin’s magic was not like Stiles’. It was older and more alien for lack of a better word. It wasn’t the warm familiarity of mate, but it was ally and he was pleased to know that she was obviously coaching Stiles through what felt like one hell of a panic attack.

He skipped from rail to rail along the train tracks until he got close to the turn off he knew they were going to first and caught their scents. Then it was across the road, past Erin and Kelly and not bothering to spare a glance for the alpha sitting in Stiles’ Jeep. He shifted fluidly until he could drop to his knees in front of Stiles, both hands cupping his face and tilting it up until he could see the steady violet glow of Stiles’ irises. Under his hands, the low thrum of Stiles magic made it feel like there was an electric current passing between them.

‘Really?’ He raised his eyebrows at him. ‘You supercharged?’

‘I got upset at the wrong moment.’ Stiles muttered, leaning in to press their foreheads together. He pulled on his bond and Derek let him, flooding it with reassurance. ‘Guess I’m not as over it as I thought I was.’

‘I know, babe.’ Derek sighed and moved in closer to wrap his arms around him. ‘You don’t let things go easily.’

‘Takes one to know one, asshole.’ Stiles sniffled into his shoulder. ‘At least I didn’t blow the wards.’

‘No, that’s something.’ Derek couldn’t help smiling. He could already feel the tension draining out of Stiles’ body. ‘You want me to take you back?’

‘No I need to do this.’ Stiles wiped his eyes and gave Derek a crooked smile. ‘I’ll be okay. Sorry for making you run halfway across the county.’

‘It’s not exactly half-way.’ Derek pushed back his heavy mass of hair. ‘And you’re always bitching I don’t come to see you work. So now you can show me.’ He stood up and held out a hand, hauling Stiles back onto his feet. ‘For what it’s worth, I can smell Scott’s angst from here.’

‘Good.’ There was that little bit of venom that made Derek’s heart ease and he watched the violet fade from Stiles’ eyes. ‘Okay, now you’re here I should be good to go.’

‘Huzzah!’ That was from Erin. She was leaning against the stone, hands shoved in the pockets of her jeans and those sharp hazel eyes that saw absolutely everything fixed on them. Derek was always torn between respecting the hell out of her and also being terrified of her, but Stiles adored his mentor and they were as thick as thieves, along with Kelly. Sparks were even more clannish than wolves, their rarity making them treat every one they met like family. Their relationship mirrored the one he had with Luke though, so in a weird way they were all tied together. Luke had become dearer to him than even his own pack had been. Both of them had lost so much and found kinship in that.

‘You want to try again?’ Kelly had her arms folded but her face was smiling. She’d been a skinny fourteen year old kid that first year with the pack, Erin’s apprentice and even more likely to get into trouble than Stiles. They had tested everyone that year, blowing shit up and pulling pranks that were close to genius in their complexity. Now though, she had grown into herself. She was tall, like all the Shermans, and whipcord strong. Her powers were every bit as profound as Erin’s and Stiles’, but she also had a knack for tech.

‘Yeah, let’s do this.’ Stiles rubbed his palms along his jeans and Derek fell to the ground, shifting as he went. He left them to start the ritual again, trotting over to the car and hopping into the front seat and giving Scott a furious glare.

To his credit, Scott met his eyes without flinching.

‘I know what I did.’ he said, his voice shaking just a little. ‘I know I have things to make right. I just want a chance to do that.’

Derek chuffed and looked back at the three Sparks, now all aligned around the marker stone. He felt the surge in power as they focused, Stiles shining as bright as a magnesium flare through their bond.

There was an odd shimmering in the air and then it felt like a small shock wave flying through the air. Derek had experienced this before, but it still made him feel weird. His ears ended up ringing, his sense of balance thrown for a moment and his nose tingling so badly that he sneezed three times in quick succession. The wave passed and Derek shook his head once to right himself and then heard Scott sneezing furiously. He laughed, but it came out as a series of light pants. Scott finally stopped and then the look on his face changed to one of pure awe. Derek followed his gaze and now his own chest swelled with pride.

They were all caught within the wards, their magic an intricate series of interlacing lines of light. Stiles was on the one side, his eyes alight and his smile brilliant. He loved doing this, stretching his power to its fullest extent and Derek knew that Scott could feel it. He nudged at where his arm was resting along the back of the seat and then jerked his head at Stiles, giving Scott a smug look.

_See him? See my wonderful, clever mate? He is strong and able and mine._

‘Yeah, yeah, I get it.’ Scott muttered, clearly getting the gist of what Derek was trying to convey. ‘Maybe leaving Beacon Hills was a good idea.’

Derek barked assent, and then turned back to watch the magic, the lights reflecting in his eyes.


	2. Let's Blow This Popstand

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stiles and Noah run from Beacon Hills.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is going to go back and forth between the present and the past to show how Stiles and Derek came to be where they are now. It will be linear but now cover everything, so there will be time jumps.

_Stiles had never really expected to be invited. He would have understood if he’d not been asked to come. After all, as much as everyone was protesting, he was the reason they were putting Allison in the ground as soon as the memorial service was over._

_But there he was, standing in front of the mirror and watching himself as he tried to do up his tie and wondered who the man was looking back at him. He was battling to get his fingers to cooperate, his hands shaking so badly he could hardly even tie the knot. He stared at his face, his eyes were too old, too haunted. He’d literally been to hell and back and he had managed through it all to stay alive, but the price he’d paid was written in the drawn lines and dark shadows that made him still look sick. That should have meant more than it did, but all he felt was empty and tired beyond his years. He felt like he wanted to lie down and sleep forever, to go somewhere far away from everyone and everything until he could figure out just who the hell he was and if he even was anymore._

_The sound of the front door opening and voices drifting up made him stop and he frowned. There was too much here now, to many things said and too much history that made him feel angry and hurt by turns but they kept pretending, doing the same old dance they had always down in spite of it all, even though Stiles knew it wasn’t enough. He needed something more and the turn his life had taken had thrown a lot of things into sharp relief against his assumption about how it would actually go._

_He had had plans. There was the senior year and making it off the bench, getting grades that would buy him a full ride to college. These had been the things he’d clung to in his darkest moments trapped inside his own head, thoughts about what might be if he ever got brave enough to say the words he’d always wanted to the one person that he kept coming back to, the one who had saved him again and again and who he seemed to trust more than anyone else._

_There was a soft knock at his bedroom door and he startled, jerking around as it opened and then staring at the person standing in the doorway, wanting to laugh at the uncomfortable way Derek wore a suit even while a tiny part of him couldn’t get over how handsome he looked even at a time like this._

_‘What are you doing here?’ he asked and Derek’s mouth quirked, not quite a smile._

_Nobody was smiling this week._

_‘Your dad asked me to come up and see if you ready.’ he replied, green eyes sharp as they appraised him. ‘Looks like that’s giving you some trouble.’ Without asking, he crossed the room and batted Stiles’ hands away and started doing his tie for him. Stiles simply let him, not really even able to protest. He’d long since realised that he and Derek had what could only be termed a complex relationship._

_‘What are you really doing here?’ he asked and Derek’s mouth twitched again._

_‘Your father looked at me like he couldn’t decide whether to slam the door in my face or arrest me for even having the temerity to turn up on your doorstep or kiss me for actually showing up.’ he said, neatly avoiding the question. Stiles heaved a sigh. He looked down as Derek’s hands twisted the tie expertly into shape and then let it trail through his fingers. Derek did as well, not meeting his eyes when he looked up at him. Stiles could read his face though, see the conflicted emotions that Derek was usually so good at hiding._

_‘I remember what it was like.’ he finally said and Stiles frowned._

_‘Remember what was like?’ He kept his voice as neutral as he could. Derek didn’t say anything else. Instead he stepped back and looked at Stiles._

_‘You need to go say goodbye.’ he said. ‘You’ll never forgive yourself if you don’t.’_

_Stiles choked out a strangled noise, the sick feeling in his stomach making him want to puke._

_‘I can’t forgive myself now.’ He scrubbed a hand through his hair. ‘Not for any of it. How the hell am I supposed to go and look at Chris and act like it wasn’t my fault she’s dead.’ He didn’t dare think about Scott, knowing just how much his best friend was hurting. He’d seen the way Scott had looked at him afterwards, the way he hadn’t come by to so much as check on him._

_‘I know.’ Derek said and then he moved back into Stiles’ space, although this time it was hesitant. ‘But we’ll both be there with you.’ He put his hands on Stiles’ shoulders and they were warm through his suit. ‘But we all have to do this. We owe her that, to recognise what she sacrificed.’ He let Stiles go and then walked over to the door, halfway through before Stiles found his voice._

_‘Do they hate me?’ He swallowed hard, blinking back tears. ‘Do you hate me?’_

_‘No, Stiles.’ Derek’s smile was small but it was comforting. ‘Believe me, hating you is something I could never do. The others are just...grieving. They’ll come around.’_

_With that he walked out the door and Stiles heard him going back downstairs. He waited until the front door closed before he turned back to the mirror. Derek had tied his tie perfectly and he stroked down the soft fabric once. Then he grabbed his phone and headed downstairs._

_‘Hey kiddo.’ Noah spoke from the living room doorway and Stiles sighed as he shoved the phone in his pocket. As expected, there were no messages on it or even so much as a missed call._

_‘I’m ready to go.’ he said. ‘Where’s Derek?’_

_‘Outside.’ Noah’s came over to him, putting his arm around Stiles’ shoulders. ‘He insisted on driving.’_

_‘Okay.’ Stiles took a deep breath. ‘Let’s go get this over with.’_

_The ceremony was what he expected it to be. Stiles kept his distance, not engaging anyone directly except for Melissa, who came over to hug him as soon as she saw him. Scott was avoiding him, not seeing the way Stiles’ face crumpled when he wouldn’t even acknowledge him. Lydia was a different story and she squeezed his hand as she passed on her way into the chapel, her eyes filled with tears and sympathy even though she couldn’t speak. Stiles met her eyes and knew she was grieving in the same way he would have if Scott had died, that Allison had been her best friend and confidant and that was something Lydia had in short supply. He couldn’t imagine what she was going through, and that she could even look at him after what the Nogitsune had done to him made him love her even more._

_Noah took him by the arm and gently guided him towards the chapel. Derek was behind them, hanging back a little until they were inside and he took a seat next to Stiles in the last pew. Chris was at the front with Isaac, both of them looking like hell, and he saw them both glance his way and then turn back to where Allison’s coffin sat, lacquered in white and draped in pink roses and baby’s breath._

_His father put a hand on his knee but it was only when Derek discreetly put an arm long the back of the pew behind him and placed a hand at the nape of Stiles’ neck that he finally managed to dissociate enough that he was not going to have a panic attack. The service itself was simple, a few hymns and a short eulogy by Chris that had the others sniffling. Stiles could see the way Lydia’s shoulders were shaking, even though he couldn’t hear her cry. There were far more people than he’d expected, school friends and others who he didn’t really know but it meant the chapel was full and they were not that conspicuous._

_He did notice that Ethan was not there, but Derek had mentioned that he’d lit out of town like his ass was on fire, too torn up at losing his twin to even contemplate staying. It was one less person that he had to face and Stiles was grateful for that. He looked down at his hands and dug his nails into his palms, the pain grounding him. He felt more than heard Derek’s soft growl and the hand on his neck squeezed gently. That caught Noah’s attention and he gave Stiles a concerned look. Stiles shook his head in reply. He wouldn’t be so crass as to interrupt the service, even though he was feeling sick with guilt and shame._

_Afterwards Melissa came up to them again while Noah went to go and pay his respects to Chris. She said nothing, just took Stiles’ hand and held it until Scott threw her a look and she retreated, her face guilty. Kira had looked like she wanted to come over for a moment too, but her parents were with her and so she lingered on the opposite side of the chapel garden, although when their eyes met she did give him a watery smile._

_‘I want to go home.’ He said it quietly, knowing Derek would hear him anyway._

_‘I know.’ Derek murmured and then moved to block the view of a group of teenagers that were watching them, whispering to each other. Stiles frowned and looked at him._

_‘What are they saying?’ he asked. ‘Derek? I know they’re talking about me.’_

_‘It doesn’t matter.’ Derek growled. ‘They’re assholes anyway.’_

_The official story given for Allison’s death was an undiagnosed heart murmur. Chris had insisted on a closed coffin so that was a small mercy. Stiles didn’t think he could have looked at her without wanting to take her place, to turn everything back so he was the one who’d died. Christ knew he deserved to after all he’d done. He watched as Noah passed Melissa and kissed her on the cheek before he walked back to them._

_‘Where’s he doing?’ he asked and Derek shrugged. It made Stiles want to bristle at them talking over him, but he was too tired to put up a fight._

_‘We should get him home.’ he said and Noah nodded._

_‘Probably a good idea.’ he replied, stuffing his hands in his pockets and shivering a little at the chill in the air._

_‘Stiles?’ The voice came from behind them as they were walking and they turned to see Malia hovering at the gated entrance to the chapel garden, her face questioning. Stiles knew what that look was, but it wasn’t something he wanted to deal with yet. Maybe even ever, if he was being honest with himself._

_‘We’re taking Stiles home, Malia.’ Noah said as gently as he could. ‘You can come by tomorrow.’_

_‘Stiles?’ Malia repeated, her eyes now boring into him. Next to him, Stiles could feel Derek starting to get edgy._

_‘Malia.’ His voice was harsh. ‘Go home. Tomorrow.’_

_Malia scowled, her eyes flashing blue for just a second before she turned and went back into the garden._

_They walked back to the SUV and Stiles got in the back, sinking into the seat and looking out the window at the people he’d called his friends. They were standing together - Scott, Lydia, Kira, Isaac and even Malia._

_They don’t want you anymore. You killed their friend and now they hate you._

_Stiles closed his eyes, not wanting to listen to the words but they sank in anyway. Not surprising seeing as they were being said in his own voice._

_‘Go away.’ he whispered, closing his eyes and missing the worried look Derek gave him in the rearview mirror._

*************

**August 2012**

Stiles woke from the dream with a with a start, his eyes wide and panicked and his breathing frantic. It took a few moments before he realised where he was and looked over at where his father was driving, the white strip from the street lights falling across his eyes. He looked so damn tired, Stiles wanted nothing more than to get him to pull over and sleep but he knew that the sooner they were got away from Beacon Hills, the better.

He rubbed his eyes and Noah glanced at him.

‘Hey kiddo.’ He sounded as tired as he looked. ‘You okay? Was it a nightmare?’

‘Allison.’ Stiles sighed, seeing from the way his father's face changed that he knew what Stiles was reliving in his dreams, and then peered at the road ahead of them. ‘Where are we going?’

‘Washington State near the border. And yes, I know how crazy it sounds but I called Chris Argent while you were asleep and asked him about where we could go.’ Noah shrugged when Stiles raised an eyebrow at him. ‘I know your thoughts on this but we needed to do this and we needed to do it fast. Personally, I think getting out of there is not going to be a bad thing so I’m not sorry to say goodbye.’

‘I get that.’ Stiles sat up straight, his mouth horribly dry. ‘I just feel like maybe we shouldn’t be going on a wild goose chase on a hunter’s say so.’

‘Kid, I’m right there with you.’ Noah said. ‘But we need to try something. You look like shit and you’re not feeling any better and I know that what happened back there wasn’t your fault but nobody else seems to and the last thing we need is for someone to pin Donovan’s death on you and I lose the last person I have.’

‘I know.’ Stiles shrunk in on himself. ‘I just don’t know if we can trust this.’

‘We’re going to try our luck.’ Noah replied. ‘There’s not a hell of a lot to go on, apart from census records for that area and Chris’ hunch.’

‘They’ll also be strange wolves.’ Stiles crossed his arms. ‘I don’t like the sound of this.’

‘We don’t have a choice.’ Noah tried to reassure him. ‘Ordinarily, I wouldn’t go within a hundred miles of the place but Chris would have told me if it wasn’t safe.’ He shrugged. ‘He seemed okay with the idea.’

‘What about Scott?’ Stiles asked, not looking at him. ‘He’s going to look for us.’ His face was blank but Noah knew his son was well aware of how things stood between them.

‘Tough shit.’ he replied. ‘I think some space and time is also going to be the best thing for you two right now. Scott’s got his head up his ass and this whole situation with Theo has everyone twisted around. My priority is you, not worrying about what he might think.’

‘All right.’ Stiles said but he still sounded doubtful. ‘But you’re going to tell Melissa, right?’

‘Maybe.’ Noah smiled at him. ‘I promised I’d keep her in the loop as much as I could. But I’ll be swearing her to secrecy.’

Stiles snorted in spite of himself and looked out the window.

‘I love you, Dad.’ he said and Noah could hear the tears in his voice.

‘I love you too, kid.’ Noah replied. ‘I’m not going to let anything happen to you, I promise.’

‘I’m sorry.’ Stiles whispered. ‘I don’t know what else to say.’

‘No.’ Noah looked back at him and there was determination in his eyes. ‘You know what I loved most about your mom was that she was a fighter. She would have known when it was time to let go, even if I never have. She wouldn’t even be looking back if it was her here now. She’d jump right into this with both feet.’ His mouth quirked. ‘You’re so much like her in that respect. It’s time for both of us to move on.’

Stiles couldn’t say anything, the lump in his throat choking him into silence. Instead, he started crying for real and Noah reached over, one hand stroking the back of Stiles’ head.

‘We’re going to be okay, kid.’ he whispered, the ferocity in it surprising Stiles. ‘I promise.’

‘Don’t make promises you can’t keep.’ He wanted to never let go of this. ‘We don’t even know if this is going to help.’

‘Then we’ll find another way.’ Noah said. ‘And we won’t stop looking until we do.’

They had left the house in the Jeep. In the back was what they couldn’t live without - clothes and necessities and a couple of boxes of things that Noah had put in the back and was all they had taken from their life before. He hadn’t told Stiles what they were but he recognised old photographs and other personal belongings, the lingering trace of his mother’s perfume telling him that they were all sentimental. Stiles had done the same, putting his favourite things in his bag and when he tucked one hand into the pocket of his hoodie, his fingers traced the outline of the chess piece in his pocket from that time so long ago. He stared straight ahead at the tail lights in front of them, the grey light hazing the red glow that reminded him of Derek’s Alpha eyes when he'd had them.

The radio was on, the music soft and lulling him back into a state of not quite sleep. It felt like with every passing mile, whatever it was that was crawling around inside of his head was easing just a little bit. He thought about the Nemeton and wondered if that could be it, or if it was simply relief at being away from Theo and his toxic hold over everything Stiles had held dear. He also waited for a message or even a phone call from Scott but nothing came through and they passed the state line without incident. Noah sighed deeply.

‘Well. This is it, kiddo.’ He gave Stiles a half-smile. ‘I always thought this was where I’d end up in the ground.’

‘You and me both.’ Stiles replied and leaned his head back against the window.

************

Two days and more miles than Stiles liked to count and they were driving out of Seattle and towards Everett. The drive had been one that was pleasant enough and had enough trees going past that he’d been able to fall into a contemplative trance, the music from the radio playing softly in the background. Next to him, Noah was quiet and focused on the road. He’d insisted on doing all the driving, even when Stiles had protested.

They’d stopped each night, staying in the kind of bland roadside hotels that seemed to characterise the stretches of interstate. He and his father had shared a room, reminding Stiles of long ago family vacations when he’d done the same but with both his parents.

He was sick of everything - sick of the nightmares that he had had every night, the panic attacks that he suffered. The guilt he carried hadn’t disappeared and he was haunted by more than just the decision to turn away and leave Scott behind. He could feel something inside him, fizzing away just under the surface and it felt like there were ants crawling under his skin.

The last hour saw them taking the winding interstate, the scenery backed by mountains and filled with the evergreens that grew so lushly in this art of the state. Noah took a little while to stop at parking spots to admire the view and then they were back in the Jeep and driving through more of the same with trees on one side and a bank on the other before it levelled out and he saw water. Houses started to pop up on either side of the road and then he was suddenly in the town itself, the buildings single storey shingle and clapboard. They passed a red and white building called the Shrimp Shack and Stiles felt anticipation start to build inside him. The road widened not long after they passed the sign for the city centre.

Once in the town, Noah headed for downtown and stopped in the parking lot of the Rite Aid. Stiles got out and looked around him. The first thing that hit him was the cold. It was nothing like he’d expected, the sting of it making his cheeks red in seconds and he was glad for the clothing Noah had made them stop to buy. The thick jacket was keeping out the worst of the wind, but a long morning of driving on nothing but coffee had left Stiles starving. He saw the Starbucks on the corner next to the market, but then felt a shiver down his spine that had him turning and looking across the street, spotting a diner on the opposite block.

He considered it. Their last real meal having been a good twelve hours earlier and the snacks Stiles had consumed not doing that much to assuage the ache in his stomach.

‘What do you think?’ he asked and nodded at the diner. Noah followed his glance.

‘Looks good.’ He came around the Jeep. ‘I’m starving.’ He put an arm around Stiles’ shoulders and steered them across the road.

The diner itself looked nondescript when they got there, but Stiles knew better than to judge it by appearance and trust his instincts. Noah opened the door, making the bell above it tinkle, and they went inside. It was pretty and decorated in hipster chic but smelt amazing, and Stiles’ stomach started growling angrily at him for having deprived it so long. Noah seemed similarly affected, his face a picture of hunger as he inhaled the smell of frying onions and strong brewed coffee.

‘Oh yeah.’ He looked like he was having a little bit of a religious experience. ‘This is what we need.’

A tall slender woman with straight black hair was working behind the counter. She looked up at them as they went to a booth and sat down before coming around and wiping her hands off on the dish cloth tucked into the back pocket of her jeans She was maybe ten years older than Stiles, rocking a set of rockabilly bangs and a lip ring, and Stiles gave her a brief smile before dumping his jacket on the seat next to him. The woman came over and he clocked the name badge on her denim shirt declaring her as a Mitch as she set down a couple of coffee cups and filled them from the pot in her other hand. There was a familiar energy around her and Stiles knew without asking that she was a werewolf, the first he’d encountered so far on this little trip. Clearly they was in the right place.

‘You come in on the bus, fellas?’ she asked and Stiles reached for the sugar and poured an unfeasible amount into his coffee, grateful for the warmth when he wrapped his fingers around it.

‘We drove up from California actually.’ Noah replied and Stiles sipped, the coffee blazing a delicious trail down his throat.

‘Long trip.’ Mitch smiled at them in a slightly predatory way and nodded at the menu on the table. ‘You want to hear the specials?’

‘No, we’re good.’ Noah told her and picked up the menu. Mitch nodded and wandered off to another booth at the other side. Stiles picked up his own menu, observing his father while he studied it, his mouth already watering at the prospect of some of the items on there. Noah was doing that thing where he was checking everyone there out without looking like he was, a knack he’d picked up from being Sheriff. Mitch had moved off and Stiles listened to her take an order. Then the bell tinkled again and all the hairs on the back of his neck stood up.

‘Stiles?’ Noah’s eyes were concerned. ‘What is it?’

A shadow fell across their table and they both looked up to see a woman standing next to them and taking off a heavy down parka. She was short and middle aged, somewhere indefinable between thirty and forty, with coppery hair cut short and dark eyes. Underneath the jacket was a plaid shirt over a t-shirt with Deadpool on the front and that more than anything instantly endeared her to Stiles. She gave them a friendly smile and hung her coat up on the hook next to the booth before gesturing at the seat next to Stiles.

‘May I?’ she asked and Noah gave Stiles a look, clearly checking in. Stiles didn’t know why he felt like he could trust her but he did. He nodded and she sat down like they’d been expecting her.

Experience had taught Noah to always expect the unexpected so he waited until she was comfortable before raising his eyebrows in question. The woman said nothing, just regarded them both like she was sizing them up, and Stiles grew increasingly confused until Mitch came back. She didn’t look in the least surprised to see their new dining companion.

‘I didn’t hear you come in.’ she said and the woman chuckled.

‘I’m trying to level up my stealth points.’ she said and then plucked the menu from Stiles’ fingers. ‘Three double cheeseburgers with the works, one strawberry milkshake, one vanilla malt and an extra order of curly fries. Oh and more coffee for the Sheriff.’ She watched Mitch jotting everything down and then grinned at across at him. ‘You like curly fries, right Stiles? I kind of think they're tastier than regular ones.’

‘Yeah.’ Stiles was now watching her intently, his spidey senses going nuts. ‘That would be great.’

‘Coming right up.’ Mitch said and left the table and he looked back at the woman.

‘Who are you?’ he asked and the women laid one hand on the table top, palm up.

‘You tell me.’ she instructed and Stiles looked to Noah, who was equally bemused.

‘I don’t know what you want me to do?’ he asked and she grinned.

‘You’ll learn. For now though, just trust me Stiles.’ She nodded back at her hand.

Stiles laid his own over hers and focused. He was struck by the realisation that there was a distinct crackle of magic in the air, easily missed if you didn’t know what you were looking for. He looked back at her and noticed that the woman’s eyes were the same warm amber brown as his own.

‘You’re...’ He didn’t say the word out loud, biting it off at the last second. ‘How did you know who I am?’

‘Please.’ The woman smiled. ‘I could feel you before you even got to Seattle. You need to learn to hide a hell of a lot better if you want to stay under the radar. I’m Erin Halliday.’

‘Nice to meet you’ Noah said on instinct. Stiles looked at him and frowned.

‘Did Chris tell you about her?’ he asked.

‘No.’ Noah did not looked convinced and Erin laughed.

‘No he wouldn’t, would he? Chris is nothing if not cryptic at the best of times like all hunters.’ She snickered at the way Stiles pulled a face. ‘But I bet you know all about that don’t you?’

‘You could say that.’ Noah didn’t hide the sarcasm. ‘Did he tell you about us and our...situation?’

‘Not really.’ Erin said. ‘But we can talk about that when we get out of here. Right now, I could eat a horse.’

‘Now that we can agree on.’ Noah said and Stiles felt like his tension easing in Erin’s presence. He hadn’t realised just how tightly wound he’d been but now the knot in his chest was loosening. ‘To be honest I had no idea what we were walking into to or how to even find you. All Chris gave me is the name of the island.’

‘Good thing you came here then.’ Erin grinned. ‘We’re not a town that takes to strangers.’

‘No.’ Noah looked at Mitch and got a toothy grin. ‘But Chris did tell me that you have a pack who is known to take in people that need to hide from threats of an unusual nature.’

‘That’s right, but it’s not Chris that we deal with directly. He knew that Peter would know though and so he got him to do the middle man thing.’ Erin confirmed. ‘I have to say I wasn’t expecting a Spark though. It makes sense that Peter would send you to us.’ She looked at Stiles intently. ‘He’s not someone we’d heard from for a while but when he said that you were running from something and needed a place to lie low, I wasn’t aware you’d need training. You’re very strong but you’re a lot older than normal. It’s going to be a challenge but I’m up to it, if you are?’

‘What?’ Stiles heart started hammering, confusion making him stammer. ‘Peter? What does he even have to do with this? And how do you know? Are you really offering…?.’

‘To train you? Yeah. I thought that was the whole point.’ Erin said. ‘And our pack knew the Hales very well, long before the fire and the Argents. Peter’s an old friend and I certainly owe him a couple of favours. It’s his relationship with Chris that means that we are willing to trust him, even though he’s an Argent.’

‘That’s true.’ Noah said. ‘He’s a good guy, from what I’ve come to know of him.’

‘I want to know about what you know about Peter.’ Stiles said but Erin just shook her head.

‘Maybe later.’ she grinned. ‘I suggest that first we’ll eat and then get the fuck out of here. I should also warn you, bad language is kind of a given.’

‘Thank fuck for that.’ Noah laughed. ‘This is happening a lot faster than I expected, I have to tell you.’

‘One of the benefits of being a spark.’ Erin said. ‘I knew before you came that if you both wanted, my pack would let you stay.’

Stiles didn’t have a comeback for that and then their food arrived and for a while there was no conversation at all. He ploughed his way steadily through his burger, shake and the extra curly fries like a man in a mission, amused to see that Erin was the same and eating with a single-minded determination that told him she was also in the habit of defending her food from wolves. Mitch came back over when they were done to clear their plates and Noah reached for his wallet automatically, but Erin shook her head and then pulled out a couple of twenties and handed them over, winking at them.

'You’ll both be earning your keep soon enough.’ she said by way of explanation, getting up and nudging Stiles. ‘Come on my young Padawan. It’s time we were making tracks. Bring your dad, and let’s go.’

Stiles immediately broke out into a wide smile, the first since what had happened with Donovan.

‘Dude.’ He got up and grabbed his jacket. ‘You keep quoting Star Wars at me and we’re going to get along great.’

‘Of course we are.’ Erin snorted. ‘Like you would even doubt that.’

‘I have to say that this is not at all what we were expecting.’ Noah said and her face turned serious.

‘You were right to come to us. I have some idea what you and Stiles are running from and that it’s not going to get any better anytime soon.’ Her amber eyes were sharp. ‘There’s a reason the surrounding packs have avoided Beacon Hills.’

Outside, she turned towards the harbour just in sight and Stiles frowned and caught Noah’s eye. His father had both eyebrows raised in question and Stiles knew that this was maybe turning into something neither of them knew how to handle.

‘Where are we going?’ he asked and Erin grinned.

‘You’ll see.’ she said. ‘I hope you both like sailing.’ She walked off, leaving them gaping at her until Stiles’ brain woke up and he started jogging after her, Noah rushing to catch up.

‘Sailing?’ He nearly tripped over his own feet and Erin snickered at him. ‘Like on an actual boat?’

‘Clumsy much?’ Her nose crinkled in amusement. ‘You know that’s a spark thing, just like the eyes. And yeah, we live on an island out in Rosario Strait. You can leave your Jeep behind the diner in the garage. It’ll be safe there. I’ve warded it pretty securely. Mitch will make sure your things get to the island when she comes back with Sil, who’s Mitch’s mate. You didn’t see her, but she’s kitchen. The diner belongs to them.’

‘Yeah?’ Stiles frowned, then his brain caught up with the other thing she’d said. ‘My mom had brown eyes.’

‘Which is where you get this from.’ Erin smiled. ‘And with a name like Miechyslaw it’s safe to say your family are not that far from their European roots. Very few Sparks are.’

‘How the hell did you know my real name?’ Stiles was amazed and judging by the look on Noah’s face, so was he. ‘Peter doesn’t know it. Nobody except my dad does.’

‘It’s a simple read.’ Erin replied. ‘You’ll learn how to do that pretty quick.’

‘So what about your family then?’ Noah joined the conversation. ‘Erin sounds like it’s definitely from somewhere else.’

‘Ireland.’ Erin replied. ‘My parents were the first generation born here.’ Stiles took note of the were and said nothing else.

Under her direction, Noah parked the Jeep in the shed at the back of the diner next to a green truck and then retrieved their bags from the back. Erin led them down the street and when they got to the marina along a series of pontoons until they got to one where a red and white fishing boat was moored. That made Stiles stop and almost bounce in delight as he looked it over.

‘This is awesome.’ He trotted to get a better look. ‘I’ve always wanted to go on one of these.’

‘I’ll teach you how to pilot it.’ Erin said like it was no big deal, making him want to jump around like a kid. ‘You’ll need to learn if you’re going to be staying. It’s the only way on or off the island.’

‘Cool.’ Stiles couldn’t believe it. ‘Like an actual Obi Wan.’

‘Not exactly, Obi Wan was a hermit and we ain’t got no Tusken Raiders.’ Erin was busy undoing the mooring line from the pontoon. She nodded at the boat. ‘Get your asses aboard. Sheriff, I would appreciate it if you could get the bow line.’

‘Of course.’ Noah handed his duffle to Stiles and went to untie the rope, throwing it back onto the deck when he was done. He climbed the step onto the boat easily, reminding Stiles that he’d used to sail when he was younger.

‘We had no idea there were packs up here.’ He said, lending a hand to Stiles, who was balancing precariously on the step as he tried to get on. Erin started laughing as he toppled over and then climbed aboard, bringing the stern rope with her.

‘We don’t broadcast it.’ She went into the wheelhouse and they followed, watching her start the engine. ‘Obviously you know I live with my pack and that I’m a Speak, but I’m also their Emissary.’

‘Yeah.’ Stiles frowned. ‘You know I have a pack, right?’

‘Yes, Peter said.’ Erin confirmed. ‘You also carry the scent of wolf, but it’s mixed up with other things.’

Stiles frowned and sniffed himself as discreetly as he could.

‘You can tell?’ he asked and she gave him a sidelong look.

‘You will be able to soon.’ she said. ‘You’re just not used to using it that much.’

She guided the boat out and Stiles looked over his shoulder at where he’d chucked his duffle, noting the boxes and bags holding supplies that had obviously been loaded earlier. Noah was standing next to Erin, watching out the window and seemingly appreciating the view.

‘Grocery shopping.’ Erin explained, without turning around. ‘I stock up on things when I come in and pick up the mail, shit like that. Ben doesn’t like coming into town often so I usually come by myself or bring one of the others with me.’ She grinned at him. ‘You’ll both be doing that a lot.’

‘Who’s Ben?’ Noah asked.

‘He’s the alpha.’ Erin explained. ‘Ben Sherman. It’s his pack.’

‘Oh.’ Stiles said. ‘I’m still getting over the Peter thing. It’s kind of weird to think about him actually knowing people and not just being a creeperwolf.’

‘Oh, he’s always been a creeperwolf.’ Erin laughed. ‘Peter and I go back a long way. Ben and him never got on.’

‘Do I even want to to know why?’ Stiles was starting to suspect and when Erin smiled brilliantly at him he pulled a face. ‘Really?’

‘Please.’ Erin snorted. ‘He was always fuckable in the extreme, even if he is batshit crazy.’ She turned the wheel and they started to leave the harbour behind them. ‘So tell me about your pack and just why you’re running away from them.’

Stiles shut down immediately but forced himself to give the bare details.

‘I don’t know what you want me to tell you. I mean my alpha is a True Alpha and everyone else is either a werewolf or something else way cooler than me but that’s pretty much it. I just got into something I couldn't handle.’ he said.

‘Lies. You're not telling me everything. And there’s your first mistake.’ Erin said. ‘Nobody is cooler than you, regardless of anything anyone else says. You’re a Spark, Stiles. You don’t just use magic, you are magic. That’s incredibly rare and you should have been trained as soon as Deaton knew what you were.’ Her dark eyes were shrewd when she looked at him. ‘And why do I get the feeling that there’s a whole shitload going on that you don’t want to tell me about? Like maybe how you call Scott McCall your alpha but you certainly don’t feel like you believe that.’

That little observation threw Stiles completely.

‘He’s not my alpha anymore.’ he said. ‘And there’s no way you could know about that.’

‘Like I said, you need to learn to hide things.’ Erin replied. ‘I can read you like an open book and what I can’t tell, I can get from him.’ She nodded at a surprised Noah. ‘Besides, Peter was quiet scathing in his description of the transfer of power in Beacon Hills. I think he really doesn’t like the fact that Scott’s taken what he wanted and killed to get.’

‘It doesn’t matter.’ The old bitterness welled up inside Stiles and he chewed on a nail. ‘He left Beacon Hills anyway, just like everyone else.’

‘You’re angry with him. That's natural, Peter's _raison d'etre_ is to piss everyone who knows him off.’ Erin said evenly. ‘But, he's not the only one you're with. I'm picking up someone else in particular and I don’t think it’s Peter.’

‘It doesn't matter who left me.’ Stiles muttered. He looked out the porthole, watching the ocean pass below them to avoid the almost unbearable sympathy on his father’s face. The whole bay was dotted with islands.

‘Son…’ Noah started but Erin held a hand. She looked directly at Stiles and he knew without a doubt that she could see right through him. It was terrifying and comforting in equal measures.

‘Maybe this person had a good reason.’ she said. ‘Or maybe he’s just an idiot. Wolves can be assholes, believe me I know.’

‘Tell me about it.’ Stiles muttered, not even bothering to ask her how she knew it was a wolf. Instead he sighed and stamped all over his feelings, pushing everything to the side for now.

‘So what’s your pack like?’ Noah said a beat later, obviously trying to lighten the mood.

‘Pretty big.’ Erin said. ‘We’ve got a few families that all live on the island. We’re close and we keep to ourselves mostly. Some of us work, online stuff, but we also keep the farmstead going and home-school the cubs. Mitch and her mate Sil run the diner like I said, but that’s ours too.’ She glanced at them again. ‘Everybody has a job which benefits the pack. In exchange you get your own cabin, food and all the wifi you can consume.’

‘Seriously?’ Stiles was surprised. ‘I’m glad you get wifi out here.’

‘Of course.’ Erin grinned. ‘So wolves are not a problem. Kids?’

‘No sweat there.’ Noah said. ‘Or animals.’

‘Good because we got quite a few.’ Erin said. ‘You both know how to ride a horse?’

‘No, but I’m betting we’re going to learn.’ Noah replied, still watching Stiles.

‘Damn straight.’ Erin replied and then pointed down through the window. ‘So that’s us.’

Stiles followed her finger and saw a large expanse of green ahead them. The island looked huge and he remarked on the fact, only to have Erin chuckle.

‘Four thousand acres. Wolves need space. ’ Her voice filled with laughter. ‘So do Sparks. You’re probably going to be blowing a lot of shit up in the first few months until we can teach you to control yourself properly.’

‘Okay, so that sounds...well I have no clue what it sounds like.’ Stiles chewed on a nail. ‘I have to say I don’t know what to expect. I mean, apart from mountain ash, I don’t know what I can do.’

‘Tell me about the mountain ash.’ Erin said and he shrugged.

‘I can use it to make barriers.’ he said. ‘I’ve levitated shit a couple of times, done a few minor spells.’ He looked out the window as they started to descend and could now see the shore of the island, which had buildings clustered around a pier sticking out into the water.

‘That’s a good start.’ Erin said. ‘There’s a lot more to being one of us than just believing or being able to manipulate magic. We’re every bit as supernatural as other creatures, maybe even more so sometimes. You’re very strong as I said, probably an inherent bloodline. It’s a pity you never got any proper training but we can make up for that.’

‘Thank you.’ Noah said. ‘I mean it. I didn’t think anyone would be willing to just take us on, let alone allow us to come and crash their place for a few weeks while we get the situation back home sorted out.’

Stiles waited to see what Erin’s reaction to that would be and was surprised when she grinned.

‘A few weeks?’ Now she looked at him in question. ‘Stiles, this is not like a college semester. You’re going to be here a lot longer than that.’

Stiles frowned and Noah started to protest.

‘We can’t possibly stay that long.’ he said. ‘We’re already imposing and you have been more than accommodating.’

‘Noah.’ Erin was stern. ‘You and Stiles need a place to hide from whatever it is that he’s done. I don’t know all the specifics but I can tell you that your son is the magical equivalent of a ticking bomb. I’m amazed that nothing has happened already. He needs to be trained and if fate has managed to intervene enough to land you both in my lap, I’m going to take the hint and do it. I can also assure you that my alpha feels the same.’ She brought the boat in alongside the pier, coming to a slow stop. Stiles saw that there was a group of four people coming down to meet them and then he saw something else. His mouth dropped open as he realised what he was looking at even as the dark shapes took off back into the woods.

‘You have full shift wolves in your pack?’ he asked and Erin laughed.

‘My whole pack is full shift, Stiles.’ she said and cut the engine. ‘We’re very special.’

‘No shit.’ He waited for her to go past and then moved to follow her, getting a good look at the people as they came out on deck. There were two women, one with black eyes and grey streaked natural hair peeking out from the hood of her parka and the other with a long caramel streaked braid to contrast with her dark eyes. She was holding the hand of a little girl, maybe somewhere around four. The other child was a boy of about two balanced on her hip, the similarity between him and the girl marking them as siblings. He regarded Stiles and Noah shyly from where he was hiding his face in his mother’s shoulder. All of them were dressed for the forest in boots and thick coats.

The taller woman caught the line as Erin threw it and hauled the boat in alongside, her strength marking her out as a wolf instantly. Noah hopped ashore and did the same for the bow line, then came to join Stiles and Erin as they climbed onto the pier.

‘Stile, Noah - this is Thea Sherman.’ Erin gestured to the older woman. ‘She’s the Alpha Mate. And this is Ana Fuentes and her cubs Miles and Bobby.’

‘Stiles?’ Thea smiled, shaking Noah’s hand and then his. ‘That’s an unusual name.’

‘It’s a long story.’ Stiles replied. To his surprise, once they had shaken hands Thea placed one hand at the back of his neck and gently scent marked him by rubbing her cheek against his.

‘Proper greetings.’ she told him, smiling when she pulled back and flashing her gold eyes at him. ‘Welcome Stiles and welcome Noah.’

‘Thanks.’ Noah remembered his manners, in spite of his apparent astonishment. Stiles didn’t know how to respond but when Thea let him go, Ana came over and did the same. She stepped back a bit afterwards and that was when Miles gave him an adorably sweet smile, flashed beta gold eyes at him and placed both hands on Stiles’ cheeks to pull him closer, rubbing his downy soft cheek against Stiles’.

‘Stiles.’ he said in his child’s voice and Stiles completely melted on the inside in the face of the baby wolf. He looked at Noah and knew that his father was a lost cause already, the look on his face one of quiet yearning.

‘My turn next!’ The little girl declared and Miles gave her the cutest growl. She growled back, flashing her own eyes at him, and Stiles laughed and dropped to crouch down so he could look her in the eye.

‘So you’re Bobby?’ he asked and she came to touch her cheek to his and then grabbed hold of his free hand.

‘I like you.’ she declared. ‘You smell like Erin. Like when there’s a storm coming.’

‘That’s because he’s a Spark, baby.’ Ana said, hand on her daughter’s head.

‘Drek.’ Miles announced and Stiles frowned, not knowing if he should be offended or not.

‘Drek?’ he asked, looking at Erin. She waved a hand.

‘Miles has got a way of making up words.’ she said but there was something in the way she said it that made Stiles pay attention. He hadn’t survived this long without trusting his instincts and something told him he was missing something. ‘Bobby, can you take Stiles and Noah up to show them where they’re staying, honey?’

‘Sure.’ Bobby giggled and the look she was giving Stiles was now very considering. She tugged on his hand and Stiles could feel how strong she was already, letting himself get towed away. Noah followed behind them, carrying their duffles.

Stiles looked back only once. Erin was talking to the others, all three of them seemingly whispering about something that looked very interesting.


	3. The Pack

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone in the pool.

_Present day_

They took the long way round, Erin taking over driving duties. Stiles sat in the back, one arm slung around Derek where he sat squashed between Stiles and Scott. Normally he preferred the side so Stiles could wind down the window for him and he’d passed many an hour like that, head out and tongue hanging as he stuck his face in the air streams.

Not now though. Now he was bristling just a little bit, his protective instincts out in full force. On his other side, Scott was looking maudlin and Stiles remembered enough about how he worked to know that Scott was feeling sorry for himself, even if that was tied in to feeling a little bit guilty as well. But then, he’d always been best at looking out for number one.

‘Stop.’ Kelly had her arm out the window, signalling to someone that only she had noticed. Erin slowed the Jeep and grinned.

‘Didn’t think they’d be back so soon.’ Then she frowned. ‘And what the hell are they doing this side?’

‘You all go.’ Erin said. ‘I’ll babysit.’ There was a slight surge in the air and Scott went oddly quiet, his face smoothing out into nothing. Stiles met her eyes and raised an eyebrow but she just smirked at him and nodded towards the door.

‘She’ll thank me later.’ she said and then Stiles felt it, a little crackle of electricity in the air and he knew who was out there. Derek looked through the window and gave a happy yip and Stiles smiled, feeling his mate’s satisfaction at finding their remaining pack members safe and back in their territory.

‘We won’t be long.’ he said and opened his door. He got out and Derek leaped out after him, bounding over with his tail wagging to greet the three people standing at the side of the road.

The young man in front was a year younger than Stiles was, his eyes a piercing pale blue in his tanned face. His thick black hair was tied back under a dirty bandana and an abundance of amulets and charms hung around his neck, although Stiles knew that those were just for show. He grinned and dropped to one knee, accepting Derek’s overenthusiastic greeting happily. He spoke in Spanish and Stiles tuned in as far as he could, still not fluent in spite of both Derek and Cora’s attempts to get him into the habit of speaking it. It was easier to switch into Japanese as the two women came over to greet him, a little leftover that he’d unlocked inside his mind when he’d started to get to grips with what he truly was.

They looked different to how they had been. Noshiko was still agelessly beautiful, her thick dark hair tied up and now dressed in military style garb which made it easier for her to move around undetected. Kira was the same, but she’d changed her hair. Now it was cut as short as Julio's, accentuating the sharp planes of her face. She moved with an effortless grace, grown into her kitsune powers and taking her place at her mother’s side.

They never spoke about what had happened to Ken.

‘Is that who I think it is?’ Noshiko asked, leaning a little to the left to look at where Scott was still in the Jeep.

‘Yeah.’ Stiles shrugged. ‘They go ambushed coming through. Lydia’s with them, and Parrish. She’s not doing so good so Thea wants to hold onto her for a few days.’

‘What about Melissa?’ Kira asked. She was keeping a perfectly straight face, any feelings she might have had not visible to anyone. ‘Is she with them?’

‘Yeah.’ Stiles knew that Kira had always loved Scott’s mother. ‘She’s good.’ He looked at her intently. ‘You want to say hi, or let it go? Right now he can’t hear what we’re saying and he can’t see you too well. Erin’s got him under.’

‘Leave it like that.’ Kira replied. ‘For now. I’ll speak to him when I want to.’

Stiles nodded. He understood the need for distance. Kira’s departure had saddened them all and he’d thought for certain it had been the end until Derek had sent out the Alpha call and she’d turned up, her katana strapped to her back and her powers fully under her control. The Skinwalkers had taught her well, and she’d managed to even pick up someone along the way. Julio Alvarez was originally from Puerto Rico, a brujo from a long line of powerful magical practitioners. He’d gone to New Mexico to study with a wise woman there and that was how he’d met Kira.

Now they made up the northern patrol, staying with the pack only on occasion even though they were all part of it. Kira and Noshiko had become less and less comfortable with people over time, the Awakening driving them to the edges of their humanity. Julio was used to communing with the other side, his ability and willingness to use necromancy and other things that Stiles wouldn’t touch with a ten foot pole making him a valuable asset, even if he gave most people the creeps.

‘Mi amigo.’ He came over, Derek at his side. The alpha moved past him, going to incline his head to Noshiko in respect and then bowling Kira over in a flailing mass of limbs before he jumped on her and washed her face with his long tongue.

‘Julio’ Stiles took the offered hand and embraced him. ‘You good?’

‘Yeah.’ Julio smiled, showing a gold front tooth. ‘All quiet up north, man.’ He nodded at the Jeep. ‘What you got in there?’

Stiles exchanged a quick glance with Noshiko and nodded at where Kira had finally managed to shove Derek off of her and was kneeling down and busy ruffling his face fur in a way that Derek never allowed him to do. But then, Kira and Derek bonding had been a surprise and their friendship was one based on their mutual weirdness and social awkwardness, even in the face of society having broken down irretrievably.

‘You should ask her.’ he said and Julio gave his girlfriend a questioning look.

‘Kee?’ he asked and Kira made a face.

‘He’s my ex. The True Alpha.’ she explained and Julio grinned again, although this time it was not very friendly. He gave her a hand up and then glanced back at the car.

‘The asshole that hooked up with someone else when you were wasteland side?’ He looked at Stiles with a raised eyebrow. ‘You want me to…?’

‘No thank you.’ Stiles smiled at the offer. Julio was of the opinion that the rules of magic were more guidelines. He believed very strongly in damning everyone and letting the devil sort them out. Next to him, Derek pressed against his leg and growled softly and Stiles chuckled and buried his fingers in his fur to chasten him.

‘I don’t think the Big Guy agrees.’ Julio pointed out and Derek huffed in agreement.

‘Yeah but maybe sending a pack of vengeful spirits after him will do more harm than good, babe.’ Kira said, coming to ease herself under his arm.

‘Spoilsport.’ He kissed the top of her head.

‘Is the car close?’ Kelly asked.

‘We’ll follow you back in.’ Kira said and turned to walk off without so much as a backward glance. Julio followed her but Noshiko stayed, looking down at Derek with her serious face on.

‘There’s a nest coming down.’ she said. ‘We caught a scout about three days ago and daylighted him. There were five more last night but they were too fast for us.’

‘Shit.’ Stiles frowned. ‘They don’t normally come down this far south until later in the year.’

‘Things are getting hot even up north.’ Noshiko replied. ‘There’s been a lot of backlash against supes up there, some folks are not very happy to have them around. Vamps get it worse than most.’

‘I’m taking it this one wasn’t friendly.’ Stiles said. ‘Seeing as he’s now ash.’

‘Attacked Julio.’ Noshiko grinned. ‘He’s lucky that’s all that happened. Julio wanted to keep him a couple of days, use him as a vessel. Kira talked him out of it.’

‘Yikes.’ Stiles shook his head. ‘He got off lucky then.’

‘He was only a kid when he was turned and completely feral from hunger.’ Noshiko sighed. ‘It’s kinder to put them down when they’re in that state.’

‘Yeah.’ Kelly looked a little ill. ‘Are they going to come down past the wards, do you think?’

‘I’d bet on it.’ Noshiko said. ‘Maybe tonight, maybe tomorrow. I’ll give you and Ben both a full report when we get in.’ That was to Derek, who nodded and trotted back to the car.

‘Mom’s making beans and rice for dinner.’ Kelly grinned. ‘And there’ll be venison steak. And liver.’

‘Sounds good.’ Noshiko smiled at them and went after her daughter and Julio, making no sounds as she disappeared into the undergrowth.

Back in the Jeep, Derek had stolen Kelly’s spot on the passenger seat. He chuffed a wolfy laugh when she complained. Stiles made her sit in the middle so he could lean over the back of the sear and play with Derek’s ears. It always amused him to see his alpha sitting there like a person would, and Derek pushed into his hand as Stiles scratched through his thick fur

‘We good to go?’ Erin asked and he nodded and the pressure in his ears disappeared as she lifted the spell. Scott seemed to come back into himself and looked around them.

‘Why did we stop?’ he asked and Stiles knew he had no recollection of what had just happened.

‘I had to pee.’ he said and Erin snickered and pulled back onto the road.

************

Noah looked up as a shadow fell across the grass of the open clearing that they used for cleaning and hanging the deer they brought back. They had three, a good haul for the pack and food that would last a good while, at least by wolf standards. What they didn’t eat fresh, they cured and dried and stored.

Peter was elbow deep in one of the stags, and he flashed his eyes and smiled broadly when he saw that it was Melissa. Next to him, Chris gave her a welcoming smile, his own hands also bloody.

‘Melissa.’ Peter was jovial, always in a good mood after a successful hunt. ‘Nice of you to join us.’

‘They told me I could find you here.’ Her eyes were wide when she took in the scene and Noah had to admit that he’d been much the same when he’d first arrived in the Sherman pack.

There was a sturdy wooden frame for them to hang the deer from while they were gutted, buckets collecting the blood underneath. The deer’s intestines were soaking in a brine mixture, having been already cleaned. The internal organs had been set aside, apart from one liver and one heart which had been given to a slavering Cora. She’d scampered off with them looking like a kid at Christmas and she hadn’t even made it twenty feet from the clearing when they’d all heard her chomping away. Jackson and Ethan had been excused because Jackson had a habit of gnawing on the deer instead of cutting them. Luke was busy setting up the smokehouse so that left him, Peter and Chris.

‘We heard you were here.’ Chris set aside the knife he was using and looked her up and down. ‘You haven’t changed a bit.’

‘Bullshit.’ Melissa retorted. ‘Look at this.’ She brandished a strand of hair at them all. ‘Grey as a motherfucker.’

‘It’s nice to see you’re as feisty as ever.’ Peter grinned as he came over to stand next to Chris. ‘I’m sure you’ve heard the news.’

‘About you two?’ Melissa arched an eyebrow at them. ‘Even I called that one.’

Noah chuckled and wiped his hands on the rag tucked into his back pocket. The stench of blood and the steaming insides of the deer’s guts made him want to drop his fangs but he controlled himself.

‘You want to help?’ he asked and Melissa shook her head. She looked at him, like she was cataloguing everything and Noah wondered for a second if she was looking for the changes. He smiled and let his eyes glow gold and she gasped a little and folded her arms in front of her.

‘Stiles told me.’ she said. ‘It just seems so strange.

‘He very nearly wasn’t.’ Peter had gone back to his work , talking over his shoulder as he slid his claws between the deer’s meat and skin. ‘It was close. But he’s a fighter.’

‘What happened?’ Melissa asked, coming a little closer. She wrinkled her nose at the smell but her face held only curiosity.

‘Some hunter asshole with a 50 cal.’ he replied. ‘Blew a goddamn hole in my stomach big enough for me to put my fist through. Thankfully, Derek was with me at the time and he bit me right away. He’s real strong now, so it took almost immediately.’

‘The perks of being mated to a Spark.’ Peter chuckled from across the clearing. ‘Almost guaranteed turning.’

‘You did look like shit.’ Chris jabbed the knife in Noah’s direction with a sly grin. ‘Even I was worried.’

‘Didn’t die though.’ Noah laughed. ‘And now I get to eat what the fuck I want. Just my luck that the goddamn collapse of modern society took place and there’s no more pizza rolls or hot pockets.’

‘You look healthy.’ Melissa was smiling. ‘And more relaxed than I’ve ever seen you, which is ironic.’

‘It’s all the fresh air.’ Noah told her. ‘And having a pack. Speaking of, how is yours?’

‘Lydia is still sleeping, but Jordan was up when I left. Liam, Mason and Corey were all trying to make a dent in the kitchen supplies.’ Melissa hugged herself. ‘But it’s been hard. We lost so many.’

Noah could smell how her normally floral scent soured and nodded.

‘I understand.’ He sighed. ‘Rafa?’

‘No idea.’ Melissa replied. ‘Not that it made a big difference to my life. Malia leaving hit me hard.’ She glanced over at Peter. ‘I don’t know if you know about that?’

‘I’d heard.’ Peter shrugged. ‘She was always more like Corinne than me anyway. Going back to the desert would have been better than living through that nightmare.’

Noah heard the skip in his heartbeat though and knew that Peter had been hurting far more than he’d let on once Stiles had told him about Malia. He and Peter had an odd relationship, antagonistic and yet also that of equals and Noah knew that they understood each other in a way he would never be able to completely understand. Even Derek and Chris were bemused by them, although once you threw Erin into the mix things really heated up. She knew Peter well enough to completely press all of his buttons, and delighted in doing so. It had been the cause of many a happy argument between all three of them. Noah’s usual strategy was to just let them get on with it, while he went to seek peace and quiet with Chris, Luke and Derek.

‘For what it’s worth, I miss her.’ Melissa said to him. ‘She was like a daughter to me.’

‘Well, I’m sure you were a better parent to her than either myself or Corinne ever were.’ Peter sighed. ‘I think she was never really meant to be human.’ He was looking at Chris. ‘Losing a child to the desert in infinitely kinder than losing her altogether.’

Noah saw the tension in Chris’ shoulders relax at that. He’d never gotten over Allison, but his relationship with Isaac had gone a long way to helping him heal. They were now as close as any blood son and father could be, and Peter had simply stepped in and taken the other role. It was an odd little family dynamic but then again, what the hell was normal about anything they’d found themselves in. After all, he now loved Derek every bit as much as he loved Stiles and then there was Cora, who he loved and felt very protective over especially now she was pregnant. Derek had explained that he filled an interesting role in the pack, almost like an elder, and so he would be paternally inclined to all the younger wolves. It extended to Ben’s pack too, and now Noah had a family that was unorthodox but which he wouldn’t trade for anything.

Even so, something had always felt like it was missing and now looking at Melissa’ beautiful eyes, as big and dark and beguiling as ever, Noah felt a tiny flicker of hope that maybe he’d found what could fill that gap.

*************

They got back and Derek went with Erin to check in with the rest of the back and talk to Ben. Kelly headed off to find her siblings and Cora, who she adored. That left Scott with Stiles and he gave the alpha a sidelong glance.

‘Guess we should talk, huh?’ he said and Scott avoided his eyes.

‘I’d like to check on my pack first.’ he said and Stiles nodded.

‘You go find them.’ he said. ‘I want to check in on Lydia.’

‘But…’ Scott started and then shut his mouth, looking a little guilty. ‘Yeah, fine. I know you must have missed her too.’

Stiles regarded him, wondering if he should tell the truth that she was the one person, along with Melissa, who he’d considered going back for. Instead he opted for just giving Scott a tight smile and heading downstairs to the infirmary.

Ana was there, doing a puzzle on the floor with Miles. He still clung to his mother, as all wolf cubs did, but Bobby was now ten and turning into a little adventurer. She spent more time with the twins, getting into mischief and learning how to control her shift and powers.

‘Stiles.’ Miles flashed his eyes and got up to wrap his arms around Stiles’ legs. Stiles laughed and picked him up, letting out an exaggerated noise of effort.

‘You’re getting heavy, cub.’ He balanced Miles on his hip. ‘Soon I’m not going to be able to pick you up anymore.’

‘No.’ Miles snuggled in, scenting Stiles’ neck. ‘I don’t want to be too big to carry.’

‘It’s unavoidable, kid.’ He set Miles back down and looked at the sleeping woman in the next bed. ‘Still?’

‘She woke up about two hours ago for a little while.’ Ana told him. ‘Jordan got her some water and soup and she’s kept it all down, which is very good. I sent him off to get some food himself and scare up a shower and some clean clothes.’

‘He’s a good guy.’ Stiles came to sit on the edge of the bed, looking at the Lydia. ‘I’m glad they’re together.’ He sighed softly and reached out, using his fingertips to gently brush aside the coppery red curls that now felt dry and brittle. Lydia would have never let her hair get into that condition and he had to wonder just how bad her condition was.

‘You want me to get Thea?’ Ana was on her feet.

‘No.’ Stiles replied, the lump in his throat making it hard to get the words out. ‘But I’d like to spend a little time with her, if that’s okay?’

‘Of course.’ Ana came over and rubbed a hand over his hair, scenting him. ‘We’ll give you some space. Come on, baby.’ She took Miles’ hand and they left the infirmary.

Stiles waited until they were gone, then laid a hand of Lydia’s forehead. Her skin was clammy, too pale for his liking and when he focused he could see the sickly veins of illness and pain seeping through her aura. It felt like when he’d had the nogitsune in his head, like being trapped and betrayed by his own body and Stiles knew that somewhere in there Lydia would be screaming and raging against the injustice of it all.

He closed his eyes and felt his way through the pain until he could almost see it, a twisted knot that he teased at until it started to unravel. He’d learned how to do this from Erin, but he’d become so good at it that it far outstripped what she was able to do. Erin was not a natural healer, but something in Stiles nature and his experiences from before had made him more than able to understand and tap into the pain. Now he did just enough to make the lines on Lydia’s face ease and her breathing become deeper as she relaxed.

‘Can you fix her?’ Derek’s voice came from behind him and Stiles shrugged.

‘I need to know how bad the damage was first.’ he said. ‘And for that she’ll need to be awake.’ He smoothed the blanket covering her and took hold of one slim hand, frowning at the unpolished nails that were broken and bitten. ‘Christ, she’s a fucking mess.’

Derek’s low rumble was meant to comfort and he came to stand beside Stiles, letting him lean into him and putting one warm hand at the nape of Stiles’ neck.

‘Ben’s called a meeting.’ he said. ‘He wants to talk to Scott and the rest of the pack to see just how bad it is down south. You want to come?’

‘Not just now.’ Stiles replied. ‘I want to stay with her a bit.’ He looked up at Derek, blinking away tears. ‘I missed her.’

‘I know.’ Derek sighed and squeezed his neck gently. ‘Come find me later.’

‘Sure.’ Stiles eyes went back to Lydia. ‘Later.

************

Scott was sitting watching as the others basked in the late afternoon sunlight. It felt surreal to be sitting like this, as if they hadn’t been running for their lives less than forty-eight hours before. He felt the weight of being alpha keenly, knew that it was his place to protect them and it grated that he hadn’t been able to give them something like this back In Beacon Hills.

Liam was stretched out, eyes closed and hands behind his head. Next to him, Corey was leaning back in Mason’s arms. They were murmuring to each other, low enough that Scott would have to focus to hear. He had seen Parrish earlier when he’d gotten back and they’d eaten lunch with the Shermans. That had been an experience and Scott had found himself goggling at how naturally they all seemed to shift from wolf mannerisms to human ones.

Ben and Mal were both quiet but friendly. The sense of power and authority they gave off was intimidating and Scott couldn’t help but wonder how he would have benefitted from being trained by a pack like that one. Thea was a strong woman in the same vein as his mother and Scott felt comfortable with her right off the bat. Ana was sweet and disarming, but she had a sharp sense of humour and smelled musky and animal in a way wolves did not. It made him feel like he needed to watch out for her just a little bit more than the others. The cubs were all enthusiasm and curiosity, peppering them with questions and tiring them out. It felt more close to something normal than anything had for a while.

‘Hey.’ The sound of a voice made Scott look up and he blinked in surprise when he saw Cora standing next to him. She was dressed, her long sleeved t-shirt stretched over a gently swelling abdomen and the ripe smell of her made Scott feel a pang of longing.

‘Hi.’ He shifted, feeling uncomfortable. He could smell the protectiveness coming off pretty much the whole pack when they were around her, and he glanced back over his shoulder to see Zach standing not too far off. He closely resembled his father and older brother, except for the thick head of twisted hair and the beard. He was standing with his arms folded, radiating suspicion and protectiveness, and Scott felt the hairs on the back of his neck go up, a human affectation of hackles.

‘Don’t worry about him.’ Cora’s smile was crooked as she glanced back at her mate, flashing gold eyes at him. ‘He’s just a big worrywolf. He doesn’t realise that I could kick your ass, alpha or no.’

Zach raised an eyebrow at her, but he finally walked off to join the broad-shouldered wolf that was coming up the pathway from where they were butchering that night’s dinner. Now he was a wolf that Scott would gladly avoid, all Stiles’ assurances that Luke was like Derek in that his bark was worse than his bite counting for nothing. He could practically smell the danger coming off of him, and he carried himself in a way that screamed predator. Then again, Erin was pretty damn scary herself so they made a good match.

Cora waited until they were disappearing into the trees before she nudged Scott’s foot with her own and smiled at him.

‘It’s weird seeing you again.’ she said. ‘I think Stiles had pretty much given up on ever crossing paths with you ever again.’

‘Yeah, I guess so.’ Scott leaned back on his hands. ‘To be honest, I felt the same.’

Cora wrinkled her nose at him and then sighed.

‘I learned something, when I left.’ She squinted into the sun and her dark eyes were sad. ‘Family is important. I left my pack in Argentina because I had heard that there might be one of my family left and when I found Derek, I was so horribly disappointed. He was nothing like I’d built him up in my head, not the heroic big brother who would find me and rescue me. He was lost and hurting and I took out my own pain on him because he didn’t live up to what I wanted. It took him giving up the alpha power for me and him leaving Beacon Hills for us to get into some sort of place where we understood at least, even if we still didn’t know how to deal with each other. And even then, I ended up leaving him to go back.’

‘Why are you telling me this?’ Scott asked and Cora shrugged and tore up a piece of grass before shredding it in her claws.

‘I went back to the pack.’ she said. ‘But there was always something missing. Then when I got the alpha call, I felt it in my bones. I knew that I had to get back to him, to the only family I had left. So I ran all the damn way and when I got back to him, I was half expecting him to be angry with me for doubting him and abandoning him for my other pack. But he just threw his arms around me and held on so tightly and I knew that regardless of what had happened before, he wanted me back and had never stopped being my family.’

Scott swallowed hard, his heart torn between anger and shame.

‘He’s the one who left.’ It sounded hollow to his ears.

‘Because you turned away from him.’ Cora replied. ‘I know the story. Derek told me. I guess the thing I want to say is that it doesn’t matter anymore who was to blame. Yeah, Stiles is still angry but he’s also relieved to have you here, to see that you’re alive. But I also know that second chances are a gift we sometimes don’t deserve and that maybe this is yours and his.’

Scott looked at her as she got up, dusting off her jeans.

‘What about the others?’ he asked and she grinned, a glint of sharp teeth.

‘Jackson still thinks you’re a dick.’ she laughed. ‘But then he’s not one to talk. Peter’s really disappointed that you’re still alive but he’ll get over it. Chris...well who knows with Chris. He always plays his cards close to the chest. Noah’s happy because you’re here and Melissa’s here. So overall, I’d say don’t fuck this up and see where it goes.’

Scott watched her take a few steps and then stop.

‘I should probably also say that there’s someone here who is really pleased to see you.’ Now Cora’s eyes were twinkling with mischief. ‘In fact, he’s smelling happier than he has in years.’

Scott followed her eyes to where a familiar figure was now lurking at the edges of the trees. He looked into bright blue eyes and saw that shy grin and felt his stomach turn over in a way that it hadn’t in a long time. Then again, Isaac had always been able to make Scott feel things he didn’t want to.

He waited as Cora stopped, her hand running down Isaac’s arm once before he started to walk towards Scott, his steps measured but his heart picking up speed. When he got to him, he sat down, long legs stretched out in front of him. The sunlight turned his hair bronze, the curls out of control now that it was so long and Scott tamped down hard on the desire to run his fingers through them.

‘I thought you were in France.’ He started and Isaac answered him off with a soft laugh.

‘I came back.’ he replied and met Scott’s eyes. ‘I missed this stupid place, if you can believe that. And then Derek called us home and so Chris and I came because he didn’t want me to come by myself and of course, Peter was here too and then they started hopping into bed together and bam - two adoptive dads.’ He smiled. ‘They’re pretty obnoxious about it and I had to move into my own cabin because they were so loud and pretty much fucking all the time.’ He had crinkles at the corners of his eyes now, laugh lines around his mouth and Scott found himself thinking that Isaac looked good with them. He looked like he’d lost that terrible fear he’d always carried with him.

‘I was sorry you left. You could have stayed, been part of my pack.’ He had always wanted to say this but never found the time or strength to. ‘I felt like you were the only other person who understood.’

‘I know.’ Isaac shifted, looking wistful. ‘We both loved her. But I always felt like I was second best to both of you. Maybe if I’d been braver, I could have made you both realise that none of us had to choose.’

It tore at Scott to hear that because he’d always felt the same.

‘You look good.’ He blurted it out before he could change his mind. ‘The end of civilisation suits you.’

‘It happened before than.’ Isaac said. ‘France gave me perspective and Derek gave me the pack I should have always had. But he had to learn a lot and so did I and when we were ready, we could be good to each other the way we were meant to.’ He smiled. ‘Stiles has helped him to be a good alpha, Scott. I’m proud to call myself part of his pack.’

Scott thought about that, about what that word meant. He wasn’t quite sure he understood it like Derek and Ben did.

But he wanted to.

************

Thea came down to take over about an hour after Stiles had got there. He’d been sitting, just watching Lydia sleep and listening to her breathing.

‘Any change?’ she asked and he shook his head.

He left her checking Lydia’s vitals and headed upstairs to find Erin loitering at the top and waiting for him.

‘Come on kiddo.’ she said. ‘Let’s take a walk.’

‘Shouldn’t we be helping with dinner?’ he asked and she grinned and gave him a playful shove.

‘Don’t try and get out of this, Stiles.’ Her tone brooked no argument. ‘What happened today needs discussion.’

‘Shit.’ Stiles’ shoulders slumped and he trailed after her. Derek and Luke were standing just outside the entrance, already stripped. His mate gave him a raised eyebrow and Stiles snorted and waved a hand at Erin.

‘Blame her.’ he muttered and the two wolves looked at each other and then shifted, dropping to all fours and jogging ahead of them into the trees.

They started walking, and Erin sighed as she bumped Stiles’ shoulder with her own. Their wolfy escort was up ahead, the sound of them running through the undergrowth at the edges of Stiles’ hearing.

‘So, you want to tell me what that was?’ she asked and Stiles dragged his feet, feeling all of seventeen again and shrinking under her gaze when he’d first lost control. Like then there was no judgement, only curiosity and understanding. Erin knew better than most what it was like to let the power get ahead, to overload and go supernova in a way that could hurt people.

‘I let it get away from me.’ He couldn’t explain any better than that. ‘I just heard him talking about how we should give people a chance and I was right back there, remembering the way he looked at me like I was the problem, like I was the one who had done something wrong. The worst part was is that I felt guilty, I still do. Even though Donovan threatened my dad and I had every right to protect myself and him.’

‘We get taught that we should feel like that.’ Erin said. ‘It’s why we feel at odds with the world out there sometimes. You and I are different. We’d do anything to keep the ones we love safe, up to and including taking out everything in our path.’ Her mouth twisted. ‘You had to grow up quickly enough as it was, but then getting thrown into protecting your best friend and being thrown into that world without any warning just added to that.’

‘I should know better by now.’ Stiles snorted. ‘I should be in control.’

‘It took me the better part of a century to learn how to fully control my powers.’ Erin told him. ‘You’ve only been at this for six years, Stiles. By the time you get to my age, you’ll have it. Right now though, I need to know if he’s going to be a problem because if he is, he moves on.’

‘No.’ Stiles shook his head. ‘I’ll be fine. This is just throwing a lot of shit up I haven’t really dealt with.’

‘Maybe it’s time.’ Erin shrugged. ‘Look, if there’s anyone who knows how easy it is to block people out and wish they’d go away, it’s me. But you’re the one who made me realise that it’s okay to let people back in, to trust again. Maybe you should take your own advice.’

‘Maybe.’ Stiles huffed and then peered ahead when he heard the sound of scuffling and happy growls. ‘Rabbit?’

‘Probably.’ Erin chuckled. ‘Or squirrels.’

That made them both laugh.

‘Seriously though.’ Erin said as they got to the old services building, now used as storage. ‘I’m not telling you what to do, but I can see how much this is eating at you. Fix it.’

‘You’re not the boss of me.’ Stiles muttered and she laughed.

‘Oh kid, that’s so not true and you know it.’ Her hazel eyes were dancing. ‘I’m the boss of everybody here. Except for Thea.’

Stiles grinned.

‘She’s doing a good job looking after Lydia.’ he remarked. ‘I went down to go look at her, see if there was anything I could do.’

‘And?’ Erin raised her coppery eyebrows at him. ‘What’s the verdict?’

‘I think I could fix it.’ Stiles shoved his hands in his pockets. ‘I mean it can’t be any worse than how she is now, right?’

‘Unless you kill her.’ Erin replied, going to the door of the storage and unlocking it with a key on a lanyard around her neck. It was a Star Wars one that Stiles had found in the basement of a Walmart on the edge of town on a scavenger run. He’d given it to her for her birthday and Erin had smiled like he’d made the sun come up.

‘Well, obviously.’ He helped her pull the door open and went inside, holding his hand palm up and igniting a small ball of white light over it. He held it up to see until they got to the plastic bags of rice stacked against the wall on one side, and took two for the kitchen. Erin was packing tins of beans into the pockets of the doggie backpack she’d brought with her. She put four tins in each side and zipped the compartments up, then did the same with her own backpack, only this time it was tins of stewed tomatoes and pumpkin filling. Everything in the storage was tinned or dried, the cool interior of the brick building perfect for that purpose.

Stiles filled his own backpack with cartons of juice and shrugged into it, watching as she packed the rice into a second harness. A quick whistle at the door from him brought two dark shapes, both wolves looking far too pleased with themselves and licking blood from their chops.

‘Gross.’ he said cheerfully, dodging Derek neatly when he tried to jump up and lick Stiles face. ‘Dude, you’re not kissing me when you’ve got squirrel-breath.’

Erin laughed and knelt down to fit the first harness to Luke’s broad body. He waited patiently, sticking his wet nose in her neck a couple of times and chuffing in amusement when she swiped at him. They didn’t really do PDA, much like him and Derek, but he was more openly affectionate with her in wolf form.

‘Quit it, asshole.’ She shoved Luke’s muzzle away, clipping the harness under his belly. ‘I swear, you do this just to aggravate me.’

Luke gave her a wolfy smirk and barked loudly right in her ear. Stiles laughed out loud, dropping into a crouch and waiting for Derek to step into his own harness. He’d been amazed the first time he’d seen Ben’s pack all harnessed up, even the cubs, but it made sense when you were used to getting around without hands. Derek had glared at him when Stiles had nearly fallen over himself giggling, but now it was second nature to him.

Stiles clipped the fastenings closed and stood back up, shouldering his own backpack. He ruffled the fur on Derek’s head, pulling one silky ear through his fingers. Derek looked up at him, green eyes clear and focused on Stiles’ face. There was so much in his eyes, and Stiles smiled down at him.

‘I’m fine, babe.’ he said. ‘I’ll talk to him tonight.’

Derek whuffed in approval and gently headbutted his leg before taking off back into the trees, Luke bounding along behind him.

‘They’re a couple of furry idiots.’ Erin grumbled but Stiles knew her well enough to see she was fronting.

‘So this meeting tonight.’ He glanced at her as they fell back into step. ‘The vamps?’

‘And the new pack in town.’ Erin said. ‘If we’ve got a nest coming down they’ll be useful. Now that we know who’s here, what are we working with?’

‘Hellhound.’ Stiles ticked them off one by one. ‘Jordan’s very strong, from what I remember. Corey’s a chimera, can camouflage himself but he wasn’t much of a fighter. Neither was Mason, although he did get possessed by the Beast of Gavaudan for a while.’

‘What the hell is it with that place and possession?’ Erin snorted. ‘That was him?’

‘Yeah.’ Stiles raised his head. He could smell something delicious on the wind, the aroma of roasting meat making his mouth water. ‘Liam’s a beta wolf and Melissa’s human. That’s pretty much it.’

‘And how strong is Scott?’ Erin asked, her own face tilted up. ‘What’s your impression?’

‘He’s done all right to get them here unharmed for the most part.’ Stiles replied. ‘But not as strong as our alphas.’

‘That’s because he doesn’t have a Spark.’ Erin was smug. ‘There’s a reason we hold the line, kid. That said, a True Alpha could be useful. I’d love to get in his head.’

‘He’d never let you do that.’ Stiles snorted. ‘Not a fucking chance. Besides, it’s probably full of hubris.’

‘Nice.’ Erin laughed then stopped and listened as a trio of howls echoed from somewhere behind them. Up ahead, Derek and Luke had come back into the open and were frozen in place. They both lifted their muzzles once the sounds died away and answered, the long drawn out cries calling to the wolves that had just come back over the warded border of the park.

Stiles grinned, enchanted by the noise. The first time he’d heard the whole pack in song he’d had goosebumps. It was so different from the beta howls he had been used to. Derek’s howl was higher than his human voice, lilting up and down while Luke's was deeper and scratchier. They howled a couple more times and then sat down, clearly waiting.

Erin was watching the trees expectantly and Stiles knew she was picking up the pack bonds of the ones on their way to them. He’d learned how to do it too, although he still had limited range.

Three of the wolves that came trotting out of the trees were not like most of the pack. They were slimmer and sleeker, their coats base colour a warm cream and overlaid with varying shades of grey and red. They were also a little smaller than Derek and Luke, their European ancestry making them stockier and not as fast as the three red wolves. The last was more like them, her coat a frosty white which mimicked the white blond of her hair when she was in her human form.

The two younger ones came cantering over, leaping on Luke and tugging at his ruff and ears with their teeth while he grumbled and tried to shake them off. Stiles snickered at the sight. Ewan and Ellie were always full of energy. Behind them Mitch, their older sister, and her mate Sil panted and managed to look exasperated. They greeted Derek by lowering their heads in deference to his alpha status and biting playfully at his muzzle. Once the greetings were done, they all trotted off together, leaving Stiles and Erin to bring up the rear.

‘A full house.’ Erin remarked. ‘Mostly.’

‘Aggie should be back in a couple of days.’ Stiles replied. ‘If she doesn’t run into any trouble.’

‘Or if it doesn’t run into her.’ Erin replied. ‘Just so long as she brings good news. We need an alliance if we’re going to turn the tide.’

They walked back the rest of the way in silence, the sky starting to darken. The smell of cooking was getting stronger and when they finally made it back, the stretch of lawn outside the building that they kept clear with the goats was transformed. Blankets were laid out and the fire pit was already burning, with two smaller fires for the Dutch ovens that would be used to cook the rice and beans. Ben, Mal and Noah were manning the pit where two of the deer were staked out and cooking, and Stiles saw Scott standing off the side but looking at the other alpha in a hopeful way that made him seem years younger. Isaac was with him, and that made Stiles grin. On the opposite side, Melissa was sitting with Peter and Chris on a blanket. Ethan and Jackson were on a neighbouring one, all wrapped up in each other as usual. Liam, Corey and Mason had claimed another, sitting with the older twins. The younger twins were with Thea, Ana, Cora and Zach. Everyone was relaxed and he knew that the tin mugs they were drinking from probably contained a mixture of the apple cider they’d been experimenting with and the extremely potent wolfsbane that could mimic the effects of alcohol. Vampire nest or not, nobody would give up a chance to kick back a little and the wards would keep them out until morning. Only a fool would hunt vamps at night.

He did not the absence of the kitsunes and Julio but that wasn’t unusual. They preferred to keep to themselves and would probably show up later. The only other person missing was Parrish and Stiles knew without a doubt that he’d be at Lydia’s side.

They made a quick stop to offload their haul and Thea supervised the preparation of the rice and started heating up the beans, adding to it from a bunch of bottles and jars in a wooden crate next to the fire. Stiles saw Scott’s face when he saw the harnesses that Derek and Luke were wearing but he kept his thoughts to himself. He also gaped at the appearance of yet another four wolves, although the Clearwaters and Sil soon disappeared after saying hello to everyone. Derek and Luke did the same, gone to go put clothes on in deference to their guests who were not as comfortable with the casual nudity the pack affected otherwise.

That gave Stiles a chance to sidle over to Scott and Isaac, while Erin went to help Thea. he got to them, rubbing a hand along Isaac’s arm and letting him scent his neck briefly.

‘You’re settling in.’ He glanced back at the rest of Scott’s pack.

‘It almost feels normal.’ Scott replied carefully, taking a small sip of his cider. His dark eyes were taking everything in and Stiles moved to stand next to him.

‘Things haven’t been normal since I dragged you into the preserve.’ He stole Scott’s mug and took a pull, grimacing at the sharp taste. ‘Maybe if I hadn’t things would have been very different.’

‘You can’t change the past.’ Scott was staring at the flames. ‘Just move forward and hope for the best.’

‘Deaton tell you that?’ Stiles asked and Scott shook his head.

‘No, you did.’ His face was doing that dopey puppy thing it did when he wanted to apologise. ‘I should have listened to you more.’

Stiles exchanged a look with Isaac, seeing something that looked like smug satisfaction. Clearly conversations had been had.

‘Yeah, you should have.’ He drained Scott’s mug and handed it back. ‘But it’s never too late to start.’

‘Good.’ Scott replied, then frowned at his now empty mug. ‘Dude. Not cool.’

‘I’ll get more.’ Stiles pacified him, grinning. ‘Calm your wolfy tits.’

‘No need.’ Isaac nodded behind them and Stiles turned to see Derek and Luke were back. Derek stopped off at Ana’s blanket, accepting a couple of tin mugs for him and Stiles and coming over, an additional bottle tucked under one arm.

‘Hey.’ He handed Stiles his drink and gave the bottle to Isaac before pulling Stiles in for a very thorough kiss, letting out a subsonic growl that practically oozed possessiveness. Stiles returned the kiss, glad to show off for once, and let Derek wrap an arm around his waist. He could see the discomfort on Scott’s face and took childish delight in nuzzling his alpha’s neck.

‘So this is fun.’ Isaac said with his usual snark. ‘Almost like being back in Beacon Hills.’

‘No.’ Stiles corrected. ‘If it was Beacon Hills, shit would be happening to fuck this all up.’

‘Now, none of that please.’ Noah growled from the fire. ‘Don’t jinx us.’

Next to him Ben chuckled and looked at Scott, his eyes flashing red once.

‘So what do you think of our pack, Alpha McCall?’ he asked, using the formal title. It completely threw Scott and Stiles knew that he’d obviously never reached out to anyone else after the thing with Satomi’s pack.

‘It’s nice.’ he replied, trying to be diplomatic. Behind them, Stiles could hear how the conversation had died down as everyone eavesdropped shamelessly. ‘But I feel like we’re probably imposing.’

‘Nonsense.’ Ben grinned, showing perfect white teeth. Dental magnificence was definitely a werewolf thing. ‘It’s good to have another pack here. Don’t you agree, Alpha Hale?’ He gave Derek a look and Stiles buried his face in Derek’s shoulder to hide his smile. He loved it when Ben pulled shit like that.

‘Sure.’ Derek said easily, but there was a hint of fang when he said it. Stiles took the opportunity to bite him on the neck, making Derek growl in his ear.

‘Well, you’ve been very accommodating.’ Scott looked at Ben, studiously ignoring them. ‘Thank you.’

‘I trust the Hale Emissary’s judgement.’ Ben was pulling out all the formalities and Stiles heard Erin choke on her cider in amusement. ‘He’s the one that allowed it. He’s the one you should be thanking.’

And there it was, being laid straight out. Stiles knew that this was make or break for the whole pack. What Scott said to him now would dictate the rest of his time with them and exactly how long that would be.

Scott drew himself up and for a second Stiles expected him to do what he always did and act like he didn’t need help or advice or anything that he could get from someone else. But then he spoke and Stiles was astonished by what he heard. Maybe Deaton had been able to smash something into that thick skull of his.

‘I acknowledge the debt I owe the Hale Emissary.’ His words were a little stilted but still correct. ‘And I thank him for allowing me and my pack shelter with yours. My thanks also to you Alpha Sherman and Alpha Hale. May the moon shine on you and yours.’

There was dead silence and then a screech of laughter from Cora that completely shattered the silence.

‘Holy shit.’ she cackled. ‘He’s as constipated as you are, Bun.’

That made Derek swing around and glare at his sister, eyes glowing red.

‘Don’t fucking call me Bun in public.’ he hissed but she kept laughing, one hand on her bump and the other flailing at Zach, who looked as amused as the rest of the pack.

‘Bun?’ Scott looked at Isaac.

‘Don’t ask.’ He grinned and moved a little closer. Stiles narrowed his eyes at him, but it was Isaac’s turn to do the ignoring.

‘Great.’ Ben clapped his enormous hands together looking extremely pleased. ‘Now all that bullshit’s out the way, we can start drinking and see who the real alpha is.’

‘Christ.’ Derek muttered, dropping his head to Stiles’ shoulder. ‘Please no.’

‘Drinking?’ Scott was looking at him too, his face full of trepidation.

‘Yeah.’ Noah held up his mug. ‘Better brace yourself, kid.’

The conversation started back up again and Stiles snuggled in close to Derek’s side, smiling happily. Nothing could ruin his night, not even vampires.

‘Holy fuck.’ Scott choked on his refilled drink and stared across the fire. ‘Is that Kira?’

‘Ah.’ Stiles looked at the approaching kitsunes and one brujo, who was already looking like he was in the mood to fiesta. Maybe he’d spoken too soon.


	4. Island Living

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An introduction to the island and pack.

Bobby took them up the pier and towards a set of wooden stairs that led up into the trees. The whole island was very natural and Stiles only realised there were structures once they got to the top and he started to glimpse them through the massive trees that blanketed the area. They were all rustic cabins, timber built and set in a random pattern with wooden walkways between some of them, built up off the ground and with porches at the front with some single storey and some double. He also saw that there were strings of lights stretching between the trees and streams of wood smoke coming from the chimneys.

‘It’s like a goddamn nature reserve.’ Noah was grinning and Stile met it with one of his own.

‘That’s our house.’ Bobby said pointing off to the left at one of the bigger structures. ‘The big one in the middle is the pack house. We sleep there on full moon nights and that’s where we all eat and play board games.’

‘Sound’s great.’ Stiles had to admit the whole place was utterly charming, if a little ramshackle.

‘Erin lives there.’ Bobby was now gesturing to a another cabin beyond the pack house and only just visible through the trees. There was one more after that, smaller and with the same extended front porch that the others had. Stiles looked around him and decided he was in love with the whole place.

‘Who does that one belong to?’ he asked pointing to the cabin at the back and Bobby’s little nose crinkled like she was keeping the best secret.

‘I can’t tell you.’ she said, lisping a little. ‘Erin told me you had to find out for yourself.’

‘Oh?’ Stiles frowned. ‘Is it ours?’

‘Maybe.’ Bobby replied and giggled. ‘Or you’re in the pack house. That’s where we have guests.’

‘Cool.’ Stiles was now burning with curiosity. He felt an odd draw to the small cabin, wondering if he and his dad would be allowed to share, which would be totally fine with him. He wasn’t used to the idea of living alone, although he might as well have been considering Noah’s schedule. Of course, that would be completely different out here.

‘I’ll show you that first.’ Bobby tugged on his hand and started to lead the way towards the pack house. Stiles could hear the others now following behind them.

The pack house turned out to be very spacious and homely inside with hardwood floors. The front of it opened up onto its porch with big windowed doors and there was a circle of sofas and chairs around a huge wood burner with scattered rugs and bookshelves. At the back there was a kitchen worthy of a restaurant and what looked like a huge walk-in pantry. Stiles was well aware of how much wolves ate, and a large pack probably consumed food by the ton.

‘You can sleep through there if you want to stay here.’ Erin’s voice made them turn around. ‘Bobby, your mama wants you. I got this.’

‘Okay.’ Noah gave him a little wave as she skipped off. ‘See you later, Stiles. Bye, Noah.’

‘Sure.’ Noah waved back and then grinned as Erin came over to him. ‘This place is incredible.’

‘Money buys a lot of conveniences.’ she replied. ‘We have geothermal springs for power and heating and the island provides us with most of our food. Thea and Ana have their home industry thing going to we don’t need too much from outside.’ She smiled at him. ‘Why don’t you and Stiles sit down and then we can have a proper talk about all this.’

‘Okay.’ Stiles moved to the couch, turning back to look at her. ‘Bobby said the small cabin out back might be ours. What did she mean?’

‘Exactly what she said.’ Erin replied.

‘Great.’ Stiles replied. ‘You know you’re kind of as bad as our druid back in Beacon.’

‘Me as bad as Alan Deaton? Never.’ Erin laughed and made a shooing gesture at him. ‘Now sit. I’ll get us some coffee.’

Stiles sighed and did as he was told, taking out his phone. To his surprise he found that he had signal, but no messages. His dad looked at him, his face expressing concern and Stiles just shook his head. No words were necessary for this.

He felt an unpleasant twist in his stomach as he considered the fact that Scott was probably furious with him for leaving without an explanation, but he knew he’d made the right decision. He thought about Erin’s words from the trip and sighed heavily. His antagonistic relationship with Theo had been wearing away at their friendship for months, in spite of everything Stiles had done to assure Scott he was on his side. The traitorous little voice inside him pointed out that his loyalty had very seldom been returned and that half the time he’d been at risk had been because of Scott, but he was still his best friend after everything was said and done and it hurt like hell that Scott had chosen Theo over him.

It’s your fault though, isn’t it? The voice in his head whispered. Why has he more or less discarded you in favour of Theo? Why does he no longer listened to you like he did before?

Except that wasn’t right either, Stiles thought to himself. Scott had never really listened to him, even from that first night.

‘Stiles?’ Erin asked from the kitchen. ‘You okay there, kid?’ Her words startled him and he inhaled sharply. Noah was still watching him in a way that Stiles knew meant he was more than a little worried.

‘Yeah.’ he replied, for him as much as Erin. ‘Just some bad memories.’

‘Yeah, I got you on that one.’ Erin replied. ‘Now, I’ve got something to show you.’

Stiles sighed and shoved his phone back in his pocket before Erin came back, juggling three mugs of coffee. She handed them off to Noah and set a plate of cookies on the table in front of her before going to a shelf for a massive book. Stiles stared at the volume, his heart pounding as he recognised it for what it was as she sat down and placed it on her lap.

‘That’s a bestiary.’ he exclaimed and Erin nodded and handed it to him.

‘Its my bestiary actually.’ She watched him with a pleased smile. ‘My family has handed it down from generation to generation and it’s what I’ll be using to teach you about what you’ll be dealing with.’

‘This is amazing.’ Stiles let his fingers drift over the beautifully illustrated pages with reverence. ‘I’ve been working with one that we stole from the Argents. Not exactly the best material. It’s mostly about how to kill things, although that has come in handy in Beacon Hills.’

‘Hunters know only what they need.’ Erin said sternly. ‘This is far more than that. It will teach you to understand these creatures, not just to kill but also how to interact and communicate with them.’

Stiles huffed softly and automatically turned to the section on werewolves.

‘I thought I knew everything about them.’ he ventured. ‘But I’m starting to think I know the bare minimum.’

‘You’ve never lived with a real pack.’ Erin replied. ‘It’s understandable. ‘But you’ve also faced some things that you really shouldn’t have been able to overcome and that in itself is remarkable.’

‘Sure, but I have the scars to prove that it wasn’t as easy as it looked.’ Stiles couldn’t help the self-deprecation and he wasn’t lying about the scars, in spite of how Noah’s eyes bugged out at that. Under his layers, he looked like a patchwork quilt on his good days, and those were just the scars people could see. The ones they couldn’t lay far deeper under his skin.

‘I know about the Nogitsune.’ Erin said. ‘I can see it a little bit.’ She waved a vague hand in his direction. ‘I imagine it still hurts.’

‘Yeah.’ Stiles had never told anyone about that, the way he still ached with fear sometimes and woke screaming in the dark. Only one person had known about that, one person who’d understood the depths of his guilt. ‘It wasn’t exactly a life affirming exercise, I can tell you that.’

‘Power draws power.’ Erin said, and there was a bitter edge to her voice. ‘Alan had no business getting you to do that ritual, not if he knew what you were. The risk was always too great.’

‘My dad’s life was at stake.’ Stiles replied. ‘I would have done anything to save him.’

‘Stiles…’ Noah started to protest but Erin cut him off.

‘There were other ways.’ She took the bestiary back and closed it then set it down on the table. ‘Okay, so this is where I give you the terms and conditions.’

‘I’m ready.’ Stiles looked at Noah and when he nodded, back at her with steady eyes. ‘Shoot.’

‘This is going to change you beyond recognition.’ Erin told him. ‘Your power is going to grow exponentially and at a speed that will feel like it’s out of control a lot of the time. Sometimes it’s going to hurt - a lot. Sometimes you’re going to have to face things you’ve done and admit what you are to yourself. Sometimes you’re going to have to make decisions you don’t want to.’

‘I kind of feel like I’ve been doing that since Scott got bit.’ Stiles replied. ‘Making those decisions, facing up to who I am and what I’ve done - all that shit doesn’t scare me, but the last thing I had to do to protect myself did put me at odds with my pack.’

‘Alright, if that’s not something you’re afraid of, then what is?’ Erin shot back and he furrowed his brows as he thought about the question.

‘Not being able to help, to save the people I love best.’ He looked down at his interlocked fingers. ‘To be weak in the face of what I’m up against. To not be trusted the way I’m expected to trust.’

‘You’ve never been weak, Stiles.’ Erin said and now her hand was on his shoulder. ‘The Nogitsune would have consumed anyone else but you. You fought it for so long and you defeated it. You fight and you keep fighting, even when you know that you should give up. You’re tenacious and yet you are also calculating. I would bet that every single plan that worked has come from you. You are far more than you think.’ She picked up her coffee, cradling it in her hands. ‘Being a Spark is not something anyone else can understand and it comes with the need to always stand a little bit apart, to be dispassionate and think about what we are doing.’ Her mouth twitched. ‘That’s why we make such good emissaries. Wolves are all passion and courage and very little actual strategy.’ Then she smiled. ‘I think you know that as well as I do.’

‘Fuck yeah.’ Stiles started laughing, thinking of every stupid thing the wolves in his life had pulled. ‘So what’s your alpha like?’

‘He’s a good guy.’ Erin replied. ‘I wouldn’t have joined his pack otherwise. Ben’s strong and kind and funny but he’s also incredibly pig headed and inclined to be an ass when he’s in a bad mood. He has one hell of a temper, but he’s also capable of great compassion and he’d be the first one to help you if you needed it.’ She sipped her coffee, her dark eyes trained on him.. ‘We complement each other well. The other alpha, the one who left you and that you are in love with. What’s he like?’

Stiles had just taken a sip of coffee and it went straight down the wrong way and he choked, coughing frantically with coffee flying everywhere until he could get the cup back on the table. Noah had gone pale, his eyes on Stiles as he gaped.

‘Son, is she talking about who I think she’s talking about?’ he asked and Stiles could only wave frantic hands at him, trying to deny the truth of what he’d never been able to really face himself while Erin chuckled and thumped him on the back a few times until he could breathe again.

‘Damn.’ she said. ‘If he has that much of an effect on you when he’s not around, I’d hate to see what would happen if we put you in the same room.’ Her brown eyes were warm with humour as she looked at Noah. ‘You know who I’m talking about?’

‘I’m starting to have an idea.’ Noah said. ‘And I can’t say that I never had my suspicions. Stiles used to be calf-eyed over him at the best of times.’

‘Dad!’ Stiles whined, now going scarlet. ‘It wasn’t like that.’

‘Son, I watched you nurture your crush on Lydia for a good ten years.’ Noah’s voice was solemn, but his eyes were twinkling. ‘It had nothing on the way you feel about Derek Hale.’

‘Jesus.’ Stiles out his head in his hand as he protested, maybe a little too vehemently. ‘I’m not in love with him!’

‘Uh huh.’ Erin regarded him over the rim of her mug. ‘Sure you aren’t.’

‘Really.’ Stiles shook his head vehemently. ‘Like I said, he left. He wouldn’t have wanted me anyway.’

‘Why?’ Erin frowned. ‘Because you think you’re broken?’

‘Among other things.’ Stiles muttered. “Besides, his type is very beautiful very psychotic women. I never figured into the equation.’

‘Like I said, maybe he was an idiot.Only time will tell.’ Erin sounded far too cheerful. She took a cookie, chewing noisily and getting crumbs everywhere. ‘Look, while you’re here I want you to be able to talk to me about stuff. I make a pretty good mentor.’

‘Noted.’ Stiles nodded at her shirt. ‘I already appreciate your fashion sense.’

‘Erin?’ A deep bass voice called and then was followed by a tall man, broad shouldered and completely bald and coming through the front door. He had to duck to get in and held himself with an unmistakable air of authority so Stiles knew he was the alpha, even before his flashed crimson eyes at them in greeting. Noah got up and held out a hand as the man approached and Stiles noted that he had the same kind expression that Erin affected, his black eyes scrutinising Stiles even as he took his father’s hand.

‘Ben Sherman, this is Noah Stilinski.’ Erin said, still sitting under the bridge of their clasped hands. ‘And his son, Stiles.

‘It’s nice to meet you, Mr Sherman.’ Noah said and Stiles saw how Ben’s eyes crinkled at the corners as he smiled. Like his emissary, he was in jeans and a heavy coat.

‘Likewise.’ he replied and then let go, making Stiles breathe a little sigh of relief. Ben clearly shook hands like a competitive sport, and Noah was cradling his hand.

‘Alpha Sherman, I’m Stiles.’ He offered his hand and Ben took it, his massive paw a match for Stiles’ own long fingers.

‘So you’re our new Spark.’ He smiled and looked down at Erin. ‘I see what you mean. I can smell the power coming off of him.’

Stiles was a little confused.

‘I’m sorry, but I thought Erin was your Spark...’ he started and Ben’s white teeth were displayed in a distinctly wolfish grin.

‘Maybe I should rather say your prospective alpha’s new Spark.’ He chuckled. ‘He’s going to shit himself when he sees you. Of course, he’s not quite an alpha yet but we’re working on him.’

Panic fluttered in Stiles’s belly.

‘I think there’s been a mistake.’ he started. ‘I just came here to train with Erin. I already have an alpha.’

‘Yeah, but he’s the wrong one.’ Ben told him, now looking like a stern father. ‘You need the right alpha and it just so happens we have one for you.’ He winked at Stiles and let out a roar that nearly shattered Stiles’ ear drums and made the windows shake. Noah took an involuntary step back and made a soft noise of alarm. He certainly wasn’t used to the display of power but Stiles had a feeling he’d have to learn fast.

‘For fuck’s sake, Ben.’ Erin had her fingers in her ears. ‘Do you have to do that inside. Just yell for him like a normal person. It’s not like he can’t hear you. He’s literally out at the woodpile with Luke.’

‘Why?’ Ben asked. ‘This works fine. He’s coming now.’ He was smiling broadly and Stiles felt a desperate urge to run. He hadn’t come all the way to Washington to take part in some bizarro version of Werewolf Bachelor.

‘I really don’t want to meet anyone.’ he babbled, trying to step away but restrained by the crushing grip Ben now had on his shoulder. He looked down at Erin. ‘Really. You know why.’

‘Oh so now you’re going to confess that you are actually are in love with your mystery wolf?’ Erin chuckled. ‘Too late, kid. You should have cut and run when I walked into the diner. Although you’re just being overly dramatic, Ben. Introductions at dinner would have been fine and we wouldn’t have a panicky Spark on our hands.’

‘Dinner schminner.’ Ben said, turning Stiles around to face the door. ‘Trust me, you’re going to be very happy when you see him.’ He gave Stiles a not too gentle shove in the direction of the door and just as Stiles recovered and looked up someone else stepped through.

‘Oh fuck.’ The words fell out of his mouth even as the man that had just come in stared at him in disbelief. ‘You’ve got to be fucking kidding me!?’

‘Stiles?’ Yep, there were those incredible green eyes that were every bit as mesmerising as they’d always been.

Stiles could only look at him, his heart now thumping like it wanted to fly right out of his chest. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing, but then all his emotions and desperation overwhelmed him and he stomped over and punched his prospective alpha right in the face, almost knocking him to the floor. It was a good punch too and the excruciating pain in his hand was totally worth it to see the look of astonished hurt on the wolf’s face.

‘Stiles!’ Noah all but yelled at him. ‘Son, that’s really not going to help matters.’

‘Jesus fuck!.’ Erin was up off the couch and over in a flash, cradling his hand even as she glared furiously at Ben. ‘You ass! Look what you did.’

‘I didn’t know he was going to hit him in the face.’ Ben was at the wolf’s side, helping him straighten up. ‘Jesus Christ, what the hell was that?’

‘Ask him.’ Stiles hissed, scrunching his face up in pain. ‘He’s the douchebag that fucked off with Little Miss Mercenary and didn’t even leave a fucking forwarding address, all so he could get laid after his big evolutionary revelation.’

‘What?’ Derek looked pissy as fuck, and as much as Stiles hated to admit it he’d really missed the murder eyebrows. ‘You’re the one that was with Malia! Who also happens to be my fucking cousin.’

‘One fucking time, dude!’ Stiles yelled. ‘And I was fucking possessed!’ He flapped his hand. ‘I take it all back, every nice thing I ever said about you.’

‘Well that’s all bullshit.’ Derek drawled. ‘You’ve never said a nice thing about me.’

‘Shut it, Sourwolf!’ Stiles jabbed a finger at him. ‘Or so help me I will kick your goddamn ass.’

‘You and what army?’ Derek shot back and it was so infuriating Stiles wanted to throw up his hands and yell at the ceiling. ‘Your merry band of sidekicks? How is Scott these days?’

‘Oh fuck you, man!’ Stiles was done, so completely done. ‘How many times did we save your furry ass?’

He stopped abruptly when Ben and Erin burst out laughing. Even his father was smirking at them.

‘Oh fuck me.’ Ben was nearly doubled over in mirth. ‘They’re just like me and Thea when we first met.’

‘What did I tell you?’ Erin was giving her alpha a definite told you so look. ‘I think we need to give them a little bit of space. Noah, if you want I can show you around a bit and let you have a look at the cabin we’ve got for you.’

‘Oh God, yes.’ Noah abandoned his coffee, although he did pocket a couple of cookies, and gladly went with them.

Erin grinned and ignored Stiles’ furious look, still chortling her head off as they made their escape. Once they were out the door, Stiles turned back and that was when he got his first really good look at Derek and his mouth fell open.

‘What the fuck is that?’ he demanded, pointing an accusing finger, and Derek abruptly shut his mouth and looked down at himself. He pulled his jacket closed around himself.

‘It’s a shirt?’ he snorted, but he was doing that shifty thing he did when he was embarrassed and Stiles shook his head.

‘No, see because a) it’s plaid and b) it’s…’ He waved a frantic hand at him. ‘It’s fucking pastel, dude!’

‘Don’t call me dude.’ Derek growled, and yep those blue eyes he was flashing at Stiles were definitely pissed. ‘And I happen to like fucking pastel, thank you.’ He put both hands on the hips of his faded jeans, a light blue that matched the equally faded pink and blue of his shirt where Stiles could see it under the coat. His beard was also gone, replaced by very light stubble and his hair was unstyled, falling in soft inky strands across his forehead. He looked about ten years younger than he normally did and even more beautiful than Stiles remembered him and all his feelings did an abrupt about turn and kicked him in the nuts.

‘You asshole.’ It came out broken. ‘You left me behind.’

Derek’s whole face crumpled in a way Stiles had never ever seen before. His green eyes were suspiciously shiny when he finally looked at him but he held Stiles’ gaze and the remorse on his face was enough to make Stiles’ icy heart melt.

‘I know.’ He gave a helpless little shrug. ‘I don’t have an excuse for it. You’re right, I’m an asshole, but if it’s any consolation I’m sorry as hell.’

‘You should be.’ Stiles felt like his heart was breaking all over again. ‘You ran the fuck out of there like it meant nothing.’ He could feel tears threatening but he didn’t care anymore. ‘You just left. With her.’

‘I didn’t… fuck, Stiles.’ Derek looked utterly defeated. ‘I’m wouldn’t have been good for the pack, not the way I was. I had just done a full shift and the shit with Kate and the Berserkers was kind of the last thing for me. I needed to put as much space between myself and Beacon Hills and everything else as possible.’ He sighed and hung his head. ‘I did it as much for all of you as for me, believe it or not.’

‘Well, I don’t.’ Stiles unclenched his fists. ‘And if you’d asked I would have gone with you.’

‘And dropped out of school?’ Derek’s eyebrows did that familiar thing where they tried to escape off the top of his head. ‘Yeah, I can really see Noah going for that. In fact, what the fuck are you both doing here now?’

‘You leave my father out of this.’ Stiles gave him a dirty look. ‘And it would have been better than not knowing where the hell you were. Christ, I was even happy to see fucking Braeden when she came back and then she said that you’d pretty much taken off right after you guys got the hell out of dodge.’ He huffed angrily, folding his arms. ‘Nobody knew where the fuck you were. I still didn’t. You being here is that last fucking thing I expected.’

‘Yeah well, when Erin said we had a Spark coming for training I had no idea it was going to be you.’ Derek snapped. ‘You should be heading for graduation, not running into the Pacific wilderness.’ His eyebrows drew down. ‘Now tell me what the hell are you doing here?’

‘It can’t be that hard to figure out.’ Stiles gave him his best smirk. ‘I’m a Spark. So’s Erin.’

‘No, I know that.’ Derek huffed. ‘What I don’t get is why you’re suddenly interested in learning to use it. And how the hell you got Noah to come with you.’

‘I don’t know.’ Stiles said and suddenly all his self-doubt came back in a flood. ‘Maybe I was sick of being nothing. Maybe, I wanted something that was about me for once. Maybe, I wanted to be a hero like the fucking True Alpha.’ The bitterness in his own voice scared him a little, but this was Derek. The one thing he’d always known was that he could say anything to him.

Derek frowned even harder and then his face creased in anger and Stiles took an involuntary step back at the shift in emotions.

‘What the hell are you talking about?’ he demanded. ‘You were never ever nothing.’ Then his voice quietened. ‘Not to me.’ His green eyes were fixed on Stiles again. ‘Never to me.’

‘Well you’d be just one out of everyone else.’ Stiles said. ‘Scott’s got a whole new pack now. I’m even more of a sidekick than I was before.’ He scrubbed a hand through his hair, annoyed that he was being drawn into a conversation he didn’t want to have. ‘It doesn’t fucking matter anyway. I stopped worrying about what you thought a while ago.’ He hardened his expression and hoped that Derek would buy it. ‘So you can just ignore me while I’m here and when I go, we can let things just fall by the wayside again.’ He shrugged, his mouth twisting. ‘You don’t have to talk to me or pretend like we mean anything to each other. Besides, I’m here to see Erin. This is just a fucked up coincidence.’

Derek’s face shut down immediately and there was a brief flash of hurt in his eyes but then it was gone and Stiles wondered if he’d imagined it. His mouth set in that flat line he was so familiar with and then he nodded brusquely.

‘Sure.’ His voice was emotionless. ‘Whatever you want, Stiles.’ He turned and stormed out the pack house and Stiles managed to hold everything for all of three minutes but when Erin came back inside, her face now full of concern, he let it out and yelled at the ceiling.

‘He’s such a fucking asshole!’ he raged at her and Erin arched an eyebrow at him.

‘Damn.’ she said. ‘You really do love him.’

‘He’s a dick!’ Stiles shouted. ‘A friend-abandoning dick who likes to fuck off out of people’s lives and let them think he’s dead or gone or whatever!’ He gritted his teeth, frustration and anger overflowing. ‘And you think he’s supposed to be my alpha? I wouldn’t work with him again if you fucking paid me!’

‘Good.’ Erin grinned and her calm energy rubbed Stiles up completely the wrong way. He hated feeling like this, had become so good at pretending he didn’t.

‘You knew.’ He glared at her. ‘That’s why you agreed to this.’

‘Partly.’ Erin said. ‘Derek came to us about six months ago, completely lost and adrift in himself. He had no pack, Cora is still in Brazil and Isaac is God knows where in Europe and Jackson has other priorities right now. Derek was lost and looking for something. He’d been told that he could come and learn about the full shift from Ben and so he just kind of arrived on our doorstep.’ She shrugged. ‘We’re not ones to turn away a wolf who needs help, especially Talia Hale’s son. Every wolf knows that story.’

Stiles felt guilt creeping in at the edges. He knew that Derek hadn’t had the easiest time in Beacon Hills and he also knew that he’d played his part in that.

‘So he comes back and magically becomes an alpha again?” he asked and Erin smiled.

‘He’s always been an alpha.’ she said. ‘Sacrificing his spark for Cora was a purely selfless act born of love and that alone would have made him a True Alpha. If he’d wanted he could have become that at the time but his self-belief kept him from having it.’ She sighed. ‘Derek’s self-worth is practically non-existent, Stiles. You know that.’ Her eyes were piercing when she regarded him and Stiles flushed a little.

‘I know.’ His voice dropped and he was suddenly exhausted. He went over and sat down heavily, dropping his head into his hands. ‘So what happened?’

‘He’s been learning what it is to be part of a pack again.’ Erin came to sit next to him. ‘He’s reconnecting with his wolf, learning how to control the full shift.’ Her hand rested lightly on his shoulder. ‘But his eyes will only become red when he’s ready for it. When something comes that reminds him of who he’s meant to be.’

The significance of the timing was not lost on Stiles. He looked at her, eyes wide.

‘That’s...creepy.’ he finally said and Erin smiled at him.

‘You can fight it but it won’t change anything.’ she said. ‘His wolf chose you a long time ago. It’s just taken Derek a while to catch up to the idea.’ She huffed a soft laugh. ‘He’s very stubborn.’

‘He’s a self-sacrificing idiot.’ Stiles grumbled. ‘He had the nerve to say that leaving was the best thing he could do for me.’

‘Because he believes it.’ Erin replied. ‘That’s one of the reasons we didn’t tell him you were coming. He’d have packed his bags and fucked off because there’s very little Derek likes more than an overdramatic gesture.’

For some reason that struck Stiles as wildly funny and he started laughing, unable to help himself.

‘I used to call him creeperwolf.’ he told her. ‘He’d lurk in my goddamn bedroom, slam me into walls.’

‘They’re such morons.’ Erin chuckled. ‘When Ben decided that they wanted me as an emissary he and Thea killed me a ten point stag and left it on the hood of my truck.’

‘Nice.’ Stiles blew out a deep breath. ‘So is that what you meant by maybe? About the cabin?’

‘Yeah.’ Erin said. ‘It’s yours if you want it, but if this is going to be a problem with you and Derek in the same space then you can call this off. No hard feelings and I take you and Noah back tomorrow.’

‘Fuck that noise.’ Stiles huffed. ‘I didn’t drag my ass all the way up the West Coast to turn back now.’

‘Excellent news.’ Erin patted his shoulder. ‘In that case, let’s get you settled in. I left your dad having a look around. It’s not the most glamorous of accommodations, but you two will have your own space and you can make it like home for you.’

‘Cool.’ Stiles said and followed her.

************

_It was the look in Stiles’ eyes that haunted him._

_Derek had never really expected anyone to be that cut up about him leaving. He’d planned it, just to get in the car and drive away with Braedan and into a new chapter of his life. She’d assured him he’d be better off there, made the life sound attractive, and he was overdue a visit to Cora anyway. What had happened with the Berserkers and his brush with death had put things in perspective and he suddenly wanted nothing more than to see his baby sister._

_He’d met Stiles’ eyes over Braeden’s shoulder and watched Stiles walk away because he told him to. Derek knew he was being a coward, not wanting to face up to the thing that had hovered between them ever since the Alpha pack and the second he’d realised that Stiles was his anchor, the one person that held him together in a way nobody else ever had._

_Braeden gave him an hour on the road and then looked at him._

_‘You’re an asshole.’ she said and Derek kept quiet because he knew she was right._

_Stiles had looked so hurt, the betrayal on his face searing right through Derek. He’d hardened his expression, given Stiles his best sorry, gotta go look and had to watch the way those beautiful amber eyes dimmed. They didn’t look away though. Stiles didn’t look away once, not even as the car had pulled away and driven out of sight._

_‘He deserves better than me.’ he finally said and Braeden snorted._

_‘He’s in love with you.’ she said. ‘If I cared enough, I’d be jealous as hell.’_

_She left him at the next town, just got out the car and leaned in the window._

_‘You may not think that this is the wrong decision right now.’ she told him. ‘But when you come to your senses you’re going to realise that you fucked up, Derek. At that point, I would recommend you get on your hands and knees and hope like fuck he takes you back.’ With that, she’d rapped her knuckles on the car window frame and walked out of his life._

_Derek had sat and sat and thought about what he had to do. Then he’d turned the car south and headed for the border._

Now Derek ran.

He shed his boots and coat as he went and now he was pounding the ground in his bare feet, breath steaming as he let himself go and shifted into his beta form. His shirt was long gone and he barely slowed down to get rid of his jeans before he leaped, transforming in mid air and hitting the ground without breaking stride. Being in his full shift was liberating, releasing him from all the humanity inside him for a little while and just letting him bask in the sounds and smells around him.

He heard the sound of someone running alongside and glanced over to catch sight of Luke’s distinctive silver and black fur. He kept pace with Derek easily, their matched speed taking them to the east shore in ten minutes. There they stopped and shifted back, blowing clouds of steam.

Derek stood and waited for Luke to speak. As the older wolf, he submitted to his authority but he made no attempt to hide his anger.

‘Did she tell you?’ he demanded and Luke shrugged.

‘She thought it best not to tell you.’ he eventually said, scratching absently at the thick hair on his stomach. ‘She thought you’d run.’

‘She was right.’ Derek turned to look at him. ‘What is he doing here?’

‘Beats me.’ Luke replied. ‘All I know is that her and Ben agreed to let this kid come because he’s a spark like her and he needs help. Trust me, if I’d had a heads up I would have told you.’ He looked at Derek steadily. ‘That doesn’t mean that I don’t think you need this. I’ve seen you when you look at that picture you’ve got on your phone.’ He sighed. ‘He’s your mate, isn’t he?’

‘He’s not ready to know that.’ Derek snapped. ‘He’s not ready to know any of it. I can’t just drop all this on him.’

‘Why the hell not?’ Luke asked. ‘Maybe if you’d been honest and told him that reason you left was so that you wouldn’t have to see him with anyone else, you might have worked all this shit out on your own.’

‘It wasn’t just that.’ Derek sighed. ‘I’m not good at this.’

‘Who is?’ Luke said. ‘I’ll tell you one thing, he can’t be a pushover. He’s a tough little shit by all accounts, yours included. You keep thinking you’re going to break everything around you, you’re going to end up alone and an wolf without a pack is looking for trouble.’ He folded his arms, the muscles rippling. Derek could feel the raw power he exuded, the complete and utter control. It was something he’d grown to respect immeasurably in the older wolf and he knew that Luke’s advice was right, that he needed this.

‘I let him down.’ He could barely bring himself to say the words. ‘I rejected what I felt for him because of my own fear.’ He shook his head. ‘I don’t deserve what he may have wanted to give me and I can’t give him what he wants in return.’

‘How the hell do you know that, kid?’ Luke has both eyebrows raised at him. ‘You didn’t even try. Maybe now you can. You just got to be brave enough to put yourself out there and open up a bit.’

‘Yeah, because my romantic entanglements have worked out so well before.’ Derek muttered.

‘Are you seriously proposing that he’s here to kill you?’ Luke was grinning and Derek wanted to draw in on himself. He knew how ridiculous he was being.

‘No.’ he growled. ‘I know he would never hurt me. I don’t trust anyone more than I trust him.’ Then he winced as Luke’s hand caught him around the back of his head.

‘Then get over your goddamn miserable martyred ass and take the jump, Derek.’ he exhorted. ‘Trust me, you’ll never forgive yourself if you fuck this up again. You’re in love with the boy, we can all smell it. Every damn time you’ve even mentioned him, you get all googly eyed and you sleep with your snout in that stupid red hoodie.’

‘I do not.’ Derek grumbled and Luke barked a loud laugh.

‘Yeah, you do cub.’ He got an arm around Derek’s neck, the easy intimacy that Derek had been starved of for so long making him whine in appreciation. He’d had a lot of that since arriving, and it had done him and his wolf a world of good. ‘Now I say we go run the shorelines and then tomorrow you and your spark can have an actual conversation.’

He let Derek go and dropped back down to all fours, shifting effortlessly. Derek followed and soon they were running back into the trees.

***********

Stiles looked around the cabin and his delight in what he saw was complete. Noah was standing a little to the side and his own face was equally approving.

‘It’s perfect.’ he said and Erin smiled.

‘As I said, we left it plain so you can do what you want with it.’ She nodded at the kitchenette, a counter really with small gas stove and a fridge that looked like it had been left over from the fifties. ‘If you make a list of what you need, we can get it next time we go into town or come with us if you like. You are also welcome to raid the pack house for supplies of whatever you want here and just add your groceries to the list. There’s bedlinen in the wardrobe in the bedroom and plenty of bookshelves up there.’ She gestured to the mezzanine that opened over the back part of the cabin. It had a ladder that lead up and Stiles knew he was going to spend plenty of time up there.

‘Where will we work?’ he asked her, already keen to find out as much as he could in spite of his unexpected encounter with a certain werewolf.

‘Mostly in my workshop.’ Erin replied. ‘I’ve got a place on the back meadow where we don’t get disturbed by curious wolves.’ She grinned. ‘They know better than to get to close when I’m working. There’s also a greenhouse and I grow everything we will need. That’s going to be your other job. You’ll be helping me as much as I am helping you.’

‘Sounds like the best trade I could make.’ Stiles said. Then because he couldn’t help himself he asked. ‘Where does Derek stay?’

‘He’s not here if that’s what you’re wondering.’ Erin replied. ‘He and Luke have an older place out on the west shore that they fixed up. They like their solitude.’ Her brown eyes were sparkling and Stiles found himself grinning in reply. ‘Two peas in a pod, those ones.’

‘Guess he still takes brooding to Olympic sport levels.’ Stiles muttered and Erin burst out laughing.

‘It’s like Heathcliff but without the moors.’ she cackled, then her face grew serious. ‘That boy is broken in so many ways. It’s going to take a lot to turn him into who he could be. He has everything he needs to be a good alpha, but he’s so afraid of himself.’ She looked at Stiles. ‘The only time he really ever smiles is when he talks about you.’

That made Stiles’ chest ache and he ignored Noah’s pointed look. He’d never thought his feelings were reciprocated, not with the way Derek had just strolled out of his life. Suddenly it was hard to breathe and he found himself sitting down on the small couch and leaning over to try and stave off the panic attack he knew was lurking.

‘Oh, hey now.’ Noah came to sit next to him, one arm around his shoulders and pulling him in close. ‘It’s okay.’

Erin sighed and sat down on the other side of him, her hand resting lightly on his back. Stiles felt something similar to the pull that came with werewolf pain relief and then straightened up. What he saw made him flinch back and gasp.

Erin’s eyes were glowing a beautiful violent colour reminiscent of black light and he instinctively threw both hands out to get her away from him.

‘You…’ He shook his head violently even as her eyes faded back to brown. ‘What the fuck…?’

‘Yeah, sorry about that. I should have warned you earlier.’ Erin shrugged. ‘That’s another reason why Peter thought we’d be a good fit. I also have a tendency to just kind of jump in.’

Now Stiles could feel it. It was shocky and electric, but not in the clean way Kira’s power had felt. This was deeper, darker and all too familiar and it made him sick to his stomach.

‘You were…’ He trailed off. ‘It feels like the Nogitsune. Kind of.’

‘Yeah.’ she replied. ‘Look there’s a lot we have to talk about, and a lot I need to tell you. I’m not untouched by circumstances where I used my power to do things that were not good. But I can tell, that I’m probably the best qualified to help you.’

Stiles thought of the hospital and being taken over by the darkness and closed his eyes.

‘How much damage did you do?’ he asked and Erin grimaced.

‘I killed people.’ she said. ‘Granted they were trying to hurt me and steal my spark but it was quite the death toll. I basically took out my entire coven and burned down half a town.’

‘Yeah, but I bet none of them was the woman your best friend was still in love with.’ Stiles sniped. ‘Or innocent people in a hospital.’

‘It doesn’t matter who they were, Stiles.’ Erin replied. ‘I still killed. The guilt is the same, regardless of who is at the end of the knife. Sometimes you don’t even have to wield it yourself to feel like you’re responsible.’ She looked at him, her brown eyes serious. ‘Which you weren’t.’

‘That’s what I keep telling him.’ Noah sighed. ‘And Donovan wasn’t any different. He threatened me and tried to kill you. You did what you had to do.’

Stiles shuddered at the mention of the chimera’s name.

‘Is that why you left Beacon Hills?’ Erin asked. ‘I wasn’t given any specifics.’

‘Yeah.’ Stiles rubbed at his eyes. ‘Shit.’

‘Okay.’ Erin got up. ‘You need a distraction and I need to show you around some more.’

************

Derek got out of the shower and dressed in sweats and a t-shirt. He looked at his bed, the covers twisted into a pile because he liked to sleep shifted most nights and his wolf preferred the time honoured habit of all canines and liked to make a den out of his bed covers. Luke was the same and some nights they liked to den together, the older wolf sleeping curled around Derek protectively. He’d lost his entire pack to hunters too while he was stationed overseas but like Derek, the alpha power had been gifted to someone else. Luke suspected a wolf in league with the hunters, although the official cause of death had been yet another house fire.

He went over to the bed and dug in the pile until he had the aforementioned hoodie in his hands. Stiles had always thought he’d lost it, but Derek had kept it safe from train depot to sewer to loft and beyond. It still had Stiles’s scent embedded in it’s fibres and Derek counted it as one of the things he treasured most, along with his father’s leather jacket and the picture of his family he kept in his wallet.

‘Derek?’ Luke called from the front of the cabin and he went through into the open plan living area. It wasn’t as bit as some of the cabins but it was perfect for the two of them. Luke had been there a little over a year, still not officially part of Ben’s pack but on the fringes of it. ‘You want soup?’

‘Sure.’ He went through to their makeshift kitchen, which amounted mostly to a fridge and a table with camping stove on it and an incredibly old wood-fired range. Luke had a tupperware of the clam chowder Thea had made the night before on the table which he opened and tipped into a saucepan. He started stirring and looked at Derek, his dark eyes thoughtful. He bore a passing resemblance to Derek’s father, his thick black hair tinged with grey and his nose crooked from one too many breaks even with his wolf healing.

‘So?’ He grinned. ‘You going to go see him?’

‘I don’t know.’ Derek leaned against the wall and folded his arms. ‘You going to tell Erin how you feel about her?’ He knew he sounded snippy but he was on edge and sensitive and it came out as snark. It always had, a facet of his character that had always been there.

‘How about you deal with your shit and I’ll deal with mine then.’ Luke said, his smile turning sharp.

‘I don’t know about that.’ Derek bared his own teeth at him. ‘I think it’s kind of rich that you’re lecturing me on what I should do when you’re not exactly running over there to tell her that she’s your mate.’

‘Yeah, I guess it is.’ Luke replied.

************

‘Holy shit.’ Stiles stared in amazement at the massive glass and iron structure in the middle of the open space in front of them. It had taken about twenty minutes to get to the meadow where Erin had her greenhouse but now he could see it, he was kind of blown away. ‘It’s huge.’

‘I need lots of space.’ Erin grinned and started heading towards it. She moved with an odd kind of energy that seemed to lack direction on the surface but which he knew had its own purpose. It was very similar to himself.

They got to the door on the end of the greenhouse and Stiles heard the music coming from inside.

‘Kelly.’ Erin said by way of explanation.

‘Who’s Kelly?’ Stiles asked but then there was a small explosion inside the greenhouse and he yelled in fright.

‘Jesus fuck.’ Erin had one hand over her heart. She threw the door open and galred as someone came stumbling out. Stiles saw that the person was only a teenager, maybe a year or two younger than Liam and with an abundance of natural hair that stood out around her face like a halo.

A very smoky halo.

‘Kelly.’ Erin admonished, waving a hand to disperse the smoke. ‘What the hell did you do?’

Kelly coughed and grinned madly, her face smeared with soot and her black eyes sparkling.

‘I got the explosive wolfsbane to work.’ she declared and then looked at Stiles with great interest. He couldn’t help but notice that she was wearing a Ravenclaw t-shirt. That probably explained a lot.

‘Kel, this is Stiles.’ Erin said, gesturing in his direction. ‘He’s the new trainee.’

‘Oooh.’ Kelly clapped her hands together. ‘He’s cute.’

‘He’s also Derek’s so mind yourself or you’re going to have claws in your ass.’ Erin said, walking past her and leaving Stiles to splutter in outrage.

‘Nobody said anything about me being Derek’s.’ he retorted and followed her, stopping dead when he saw the interior of the greenhouse and completely losing track of what he was saying.

The space was amazing with plants pretty much everywhere. There were lines of raised beds, hanging pots and the whole place seemed to be bathed in green light and acrid smoke that Stiles instantly recognised as the wolfsbane Kelly had mentioned. Towards the middle was an open space with worktables and storage benches and a brass pot that seemed to be the cause of the explosion.

‘You need a delivery system.’ Erin remarked as she strode down towards the central area.

‘Yeah, I know.’ Kelly was still looking at Stiles with undisguised glee. ‘Wow, I can practically see the energy you’re giving off.’

‘He’s very strong.’ Erin replied, peering into the pot. ‘Stiles, kelly is Ben and Thea’s daughter and also a Spark. She’s my apprentice, for lack of a better word.’

‘I can’t wait to see what you can do.’ Kelly grinned. ‘It’s going to be so cool having someone else around who’s also learning.’ Her enthusiasm was infectious and Stiles found himself smiling at her. She reminded him of Kira.

‘I don’t really know myself.’ he told her. ‘But this looks pretty great.’

‘Okay so, here’s the deal.’ Erin said, turning to lean against the table and look at him. ‘Now that I’ve got you here, I’m going to turn you into a lean mean magic machine. But, I am also very much in favour of education and I know that you’ve busted out before senior year.’

‘Not that it matters.’ Stiles snorted. ‘My chance at the academy will be shot to hell from all the supernatural bullshit now.’

‘You had an internship?’ Erin asked. ‘You could still go. It’s a year before you graduate, if I’m right?’

‘I don’t know if I want to anymore.’ Stiles replied. ‘Not until I get this fixed.’

‘Well, how about this?’ Erin said. ‘We get you enrolled for senior year here. Kelly and Zach and the twins all go there, in fact Zack, Ellie and Ewan are all the same age as you and going into senior year as well. They can help you settle in. We just make some adjustments so that nobody picks up on who you are.’

‘Like what?’ Stiles frowned and she smiled at him.

‘Change your name, get your car re-registered. It’s easy enough.’ She looked at Kelly. ‘You ready to work some of your techno mojo?’

‘Yeah.’ Kelly looked very excited. She waggled her fingers and laughed at Stiles’ confusion. ‘They haven’t made a system I can’t hack into.’

‘You sound like my friend Danny.’ Stiles said, thinking back fondly to a certain shirtless wolf in his bedroom making Danny’s jaw drop.

‘And there it is.’ Erin chuckled. ‘You’re thinking about Derek.’

‘What? No!’ Stiles stammered. ‘I’m not.’

‘You are.’ Kelly laughed. ‘You get the exact same face as when he’s obviously thinking about you.’

‘Ugh.’ Stiles folded his arms. ‘Is all this basically going to be you two ganging up on me?’

‘Probably.’ Erin said, her smile brilliant. ‘But you’ll get used to it. All the women here are like this. We’re just extra feisty because we’re Sparks.’

Stiles thought about Lydia and his mouth turned down. He watched how their own faces changed immediately and then, completely out of the blue, he was being enveloped from both sides.

‘You’ll be okay.’ Kelly had her head on one of his shoulders and she smelled like lilies.

‘We’ve both got you.’ Erin added. Being a full head shorter, she was squashed somewhere under Stiles’ armpit. ‘You’re going to find out we stick together. Can’t let the wolves outnumber us.’

Stiles was completely taken aback. He’d been missing closeness like this for who knew how long and his eyes prickled, making him blink furiously to blink back tears. He accepted the hug, wishing he could be able to be more effusive but he was finding it hard to even speak.

They let him go and then kelly was dragging him by hand over to the table.

‘So I’ve been experimenting with creating a wolfsbane variant that is highly flammable.’ she explained. ‘You ever read Judge Dredd? Something like a hotshot.’

‘But isn’t that a weapon to be used against wolves?’ he asked, a little dumbfounded.

‘Of course it is.’ Erin replied at his other side. ‘Don’t worry, we cover most magical creatures. And not all packs are friendly, as I’m sure you’ve discovered.’

Stiles looked at the set-up on the table, horribly reminiscent of Harri’s lab.

‘I’m not much of a chemist.’ he admitted and they grinned at him.

‘You will be.’ Erin replied and patted him on the shoulder. ‘Now, how much do you know about making explosives?’

***********

Noah heard the knock at the door of the cabin and went to open it. He found Ben and Thea standing there with matching grins.

‘To get you started.’ Thea explained, coming into the room when he held the door open. She was carrying a cardboard box filled with what looked like staples while Ben had an armful of logs for the fire.

‘Thanks.’ Noah replied. ‘You’ve been so kind, I’m kind of feeling a bit lost.’

‘Nonsense.’ Ben set the logs down and straightened up. ‘But this isn’t a pleasure call, unfortunately. We need to talk about you and Stiles staying here and sort out some logistics. Erin’s probably telling him about school, but you’ll need to decide what you want to do with yourself as well.’

‘I can help out around here.’ Noah replied. ‘I was in the army so I’m pretty handy with these.’ He held up his hands. ‘Apart from that, I’ve been a county sheriff for the past twenty odd years. I don’t know if that’s useful.’

‘It could be.’ Ben said. ‘Our daughter Kelly is good with computers. She’ll set you both up with some alternate identities. Stiles can enrol in school once semester starts again. He’s the same age as Our son Zach and Mitch’s siblings. Kelly’s going to be a freshman this year so they’ll all be together. It’s important he keeps going to school.’

‘Thank you.’ Noah felt unbelievably relieved. ‘I was worried about that. Although I probably shouldn’t be encouraging anything illegal.’

‘It’s necessary when you’re a werewolf.’ Thea was smiling. ‘We don’t age like humans do, so we need to be able to change our documents.’

‘Now that’s interesting.’ Noah said. ‘How does it work, if you don’t mind me asking?’

‘Not at all.’ Ben smiled. ‘We age pretty much along the same lines as humans until we’re past childhood. Then it starts to slow down a bit and as we get older it becomes more apparent.’ His black eyes were twinkling. ‘I’m actually a hundred and three.’

‘What?’ Noah was astounded. ‘I wouldn’t have had you pegged past fifty.’

‘And I’m eighty-nine.’ Thea added. ‘Now you see why it’s necessary.’

‘I do.’ Noah frowned and thought about the Hales. ‘How old is Derek then?’

‘Not sure.’ Ben shrugged. ‘We don’t tend to keep track too much and all Talia’s records burned in the fire. It’s another reason we homeschool.’

‘You should probably get used to the idea.’ Thea said, and her voice had taken on a gentleness that immediately warned Noah something was coming. ‘Once Stiles releases his Spark properly, he’ll live to even longer. Erin’s actually older than Ben by a couple of decades.’

‘Fucking hell.’ Noah said and then apologised.

‘It’s normal to be shocked.’ Ben said. ‘And it’s not something we obviously advertise. I know we’re throwing you head first into the deep end here, but you might want to consider taking the Bite yourself.’ He nodded at Noah’s general self. ‘You’re not getting any younger.’

Damn.’ Noah sat down on the couch. ‘Well, that was a bit of a wake up call.’

‘Think about it.’ Ben said. Then he lifted his head and his eyes flashed. ‘Christ. Kelly just blew something up again.’

Noah frowned, but he couldn’t hear anything.

‘In the interests of full disclosure, I should probably warn you that she’s going to have her hands full.’ he said. ‘Stiles is a livewire.’  
‘Oh don’t worry.’ Thea laughed. ‘We’re more than used to that.’


	5. Mise En Place

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bug hunt ahoy!

Stiles woke up with a hangover. Next to him, Derek had one arm flung over his eyes, his low growl raspy and irritable. It didn’t help that whoever was hammering on the door was fit to knock it down by force. 

‘Ugh.’ Stiles stretched and sat up, swinging his legs off the side of their bed. Whoever had owned this houseboat before had believed in space and he was very grateful to them for choosing well in the mattress department and also that it was California King. Derek was a bed hog at the best of times. 

He stumbled to the doorway, snagging a pair of sweatpants to cover his bare ass. One of the pack wouldn’t have bothered with formalities and he’d seen pretty much everyone he lived with and fought alongside naked. Born wolves had nothing in the way of shame when it came to nudity and he was now inured to seeing all of them as nature intended, although it had taken a while to get used to seeing his dad like that. Noah, on the other hand, had jumped paws first into being a wolf and was particularly fond of lying on the deck of his neighbouring houseboat and sunning himself. It hurt Stiles eyes to see that, his brain freaking out whenever Derek went over to join his father and he was confronted with one cock he was very intimately acquainted with and the other that he had no wish to even see. Erin would just snicker and call him a prude. Of course, seeing her naked was no less emotionally traumatising. He’d had the very unfortunate pleasure of walking in on her and Luke boning in the greenhouse far too many times once Luke had finally courted her. 

After he and Derek had finally gotten their shit sorted, he’d taken the opportunity to get back at her in spectacular fashion until both Derek and Luke had rebelled and refused to take part in any more sexual chicken. 

The thought made him grin and he opened the door to see Scott standing there, looking like he’d sucked on a whole bunch of lemons. 

‘You didn’t tell me.’ His voice was one big accusation and Stiles sighed. 

‘Yeah.’ He leaned in the doorway. ‘It wasn’t my call. Kira is pretty secretive like that and my first loyalty is to her.’

‘It never used to be.’ Scott’s mouth turned down. 

‘Yeah but then it’s been a while since I felt like you were someone I had to consider.’ Stiles replied evenly, stepping aside. ‘Look, you want to come in or just keep yelling out here?’

‘That depends.’ Scott replied, arms folded. ‘Am I welcome?’

Stiles rolled his eyes at him. 

‘What do you think, asshole?’ he said and grabbed Scott’s arm, pulling him into the houseboat before the alpha could change his mind.

He shut the door and let go, walking into the open plan living area. There were folding doors that ran the length of the room, letting in an abundance of natural light. Although there was no longer electricity, there was still a working woodburner with a flat top and that was what they used for heating water. Stiles got it lighted with a flick of his fingers and grabbed the kettle to set it on to boil. He went to grab a handful of mint leaves from the box on the front deck, breathing in deeply. It was not quite cold enough to feel the fall setting in, but he could smell the change in the air. He glanced over and saw Erin out on the deck of her boat, moored to their left with Noah on their right. 

‘Hey.’ He raised a hand and she waggled her fingers in reply. She wasn’t dressed, wearing a t-shirt that was obviously Luke’s, the stretched out neck sliding off one shoulder and covering the denim cut offs underneath. Her hair was a bird’s nest and she had dark marks mottling her neck. Stiles grinned. Luke was as loud as Derek when he came and the howls that had rattled their windows the night before had indicated that Derek’s second and his mate were having a very good time, as did the bags under Erin’s eyes. 

‘You have a visitor.’ she said as she came over peer as best she could in through the doors. 

‘Scott.’ Stiles replied. ‘He’s pissed about Kira.’

Erin shrugged and sipped from her own mug. Stiles could smell it was floral and sharp, probably camomile. 

‘He’ll get over it.’ she said, not bothering to lower her voice. ‘So did you feel that last night?’

‘I did.’ Stiles grimaced. It had happened at about four in the morning, the wards burning bright through his closed eyelids as they were triggered. Thankfully, the consecrated land of the graveyard would be barred to their intruders and come sunrise they would have gone to ground. The houseboats were also warded, but the fact that they were on running water would have kept the vampires at bay just as effectively. 

‘There’ll be a hunt.’ Erin glanced over her shoulder as Luke came out onto the deck. He was stark naked, his muscular body scarred and tattooed and furred in black. He had a stylised design of the globe, eagle and anchor across his left pectoral and the Hale triskele on the right side of his neck. There was another design, an intricate shield knot on the inside of his right forearm that had been the mark of the Mackenzie pack before it’s obliteration. Stiles watched him come up behind Erin, nose in the back of her neck. He said nothing, just grunted a greeting in Stiles’ direction and he snickered at how pre-verbal wolves were in the morning. 

‘You think I should ask?’ He knew Scott would be listening in. 

‘Give him a cordial invitation.’ Erin replied, swatting at Luke over her shoulder only to have him pick her up bodily and carry her back inside, her shrieks splitting the air and the tea a lost cause. 

Stiles chuckled and went back inside as well, sniffing the handful of mint. Scott was sitting on the couch, his face curious. 

‘A vampire hunt?’ he asked and Stiles nodded and went to rinse the mint. 

‘You want in?’ he asked. ‘You could see up close and personal how we do things.’

‘Okay.’ Scott replied. ‘What about the others?’

‘Bring them too.’ Stiles divided the mint between three mugs. ‘So, will you?’

‘Get over it?’ Scott’s voice had an edge but his smile was flickering at the corners of his mouth. ‘Maybe I should be asking you that?’

‘I will, if you will.’ Stiles poured hot water over the mint and then carried two of the mugs over, handing one to Scott. ‘Kira was pissed that you basically dropped her. I can understand that.’

‘I know.’ Scott sighed. ‘I don’t have anything to say apart from sorry I was an asshole.’

‘Maybe that’s all it would take.’ Stiles sipped and grinned at him over the edge of his mug. 

‘I missed you.’ Scott said and it was the most honest Stiles had ever seen him. ‘I was an asshole for believing Theo over you. I was an asshole for pretending I had any moral high ground when I really didn’t. I’m sorry for letting you down and treating you like shit.’ He swallowed hard, staring into the depths of his mug. ‘I should have listened.’

‘Yeah, you should have.’ Stiles smiled and reached over, patting his arm. ‘But then I always was the brains of the operation.’

‘No shit.’ Scott’s mouth quirked. ‘You know how hard my mom rode my ass after you took off. I mean, she was so pissed at me she didn’t speak to me for like a month.’

‘What happened to him?’ Stiles asked. 

‘I honestly don’t know.’ Scott replied. ‘He took off when it started getting really hairy in Beacon Hills and never came back.’

‘Not surprising.’ Stiles felt a little stab of glee at that news. ‘He always was a self-serving asshole.’

‘He tried, towards the end.’ Scott sighed. ‘If he’d stayed I would have brought him with.’

‘Good thing you didn’t.’ Stiles snorted. ‘He wouldn’t have been very welcome. Derek would have kicked his ass.’ he noticed that Scott was now looking at him intently. 

‘How the hell did that happen?’ he asked. ‘You and Derek. I don’t really get it. You were in love with Lydia like all the way through high school.’

‘Not really.’ Stiles leaned back and sighed. ‘Not after the kanima thing. It was Derek for a long time, I just didn’t realise how much until he left with Braeden and suddenly it was just me alone again.’ He returned Scott’s look. ‘I was his anchor but he never told me. Once they hit Mexico, they kind of went their separate ways and he went down to South America to see Cora for a couple of weeks and they put him onto Ben’s pack. He’d been there a few months by the time we arrived, and it was like everything suddenly just clicked.’ 

‘Uh huh.’ Scott was now grinning. ‘Well, guess that answers the question about you being attractive to guys.’

‘Maybe not.’ Stiles snickered. ‘We fought like crazy for a month until we kind of fell into bed. By then even my dad wanted to kill us, and he’s been our biggest shipper since time immemorial it turns out.’ He noticed that Scott was now quiet. ‘What?’

‘I miss Malia.’ Scott said and set his mug down. ‘But…’ He seemed to be struggling to get the words out and Stiles knew what he was feeling. 

‘You never really got over him leaving.’ he replied. ‘You know that, right? Allison’s death was hard for you and it broke you in a way that I always felt terrible for but Isaac was the one that really got away.’

Scott’s look of shock was incredibly funny. 

‘How the hell did you know?’ he asked and Stiles rolled his eyes at him. 

‘Dude.’ He raised his eyebrows. ‘Subtlety has never been your strong point.’

‘He looks good.’ Scott was blushing. ‘And he’s so different. Like he’s just…’

‘Grown into himself.’ Stiles explained. ‘So, I’ve learned a lot about wolf packs since I left. Isaac’s very important. He’s our heart, the one that balances us all out. His capacity for love is incredible. He’s stronger than all of us emotionally, even Derek. And I know that whatever you’re feeling, he’s feeling it too. I haven’t seen him light up like that since you and him and Allison were doing that weird ass ‘we want to fuck but we’re all too shy to ask’ thing in high school.’ 

‘Are you sure?’ Scott’s cheeks were pink and it was completely incongruous, the alpha looking like he was back in sophomore year and catching his breath when a tall boy walked past. 

‘Trust me.’ Stiles nodded. ‘He wants your ass, buddy. I hope you have an idea of what to do with it because I don’t really want to have to give you the anal sex talk.’

‘Oh for fuck’s sake.’ They both looked up to see a groggy looking Derek standing in the bedroom doorway, his whole face scrunched up. ‘If you do, please do it somewhere I can’t hear.’ 

Stiles threw him the finger and turned back to Scott, who was looking a little pale. 

‘Sourwolf’s just crabby because he’s hungover.’ he stated. ‘Now, let’s talk about how you’re going to woo him.’

‘Stiles.’ Derek growled, rubbing a fond hand over Stiles’ hair as he passed. ‘Leave him alone. He doesn’t need you to be matchmaker.’

‘Yeah, he does.’ Stiles retorted. ‘It’s the thing we all do. Remember what the pack did to us?’

Derek chuckled, warm and dark, and it made Stiles stomach flip. 

‘Yeah, but there’s no hot springs around for miles.’ he replied, making up his own mug. ‘I guess we could throw him and Isaac in the river.’

Their heads shot up as the roar from next door rattled the windows and Scott went bright red. 

‘I’m guessing Luke’s having a fun morning.’ Derek glared at Stiles. ‘Unlike me.’

‘Not my fault I was too drunk to get it up last night.’ Stiles replied. ‘You shouldn’t have challenged me to that last round of shots.’

‘I didn’t.’ Derek sniped back. ‘You literally challenged yourself and then when I tried to blow you, you just lay there giggling until I gave up.’

‘Oh god.’ Scott was looking green. ‘I don’t want to know about you blowing my best friend.’

It just came out and they all froze. In spite of everything that had happened between them, Stiles felt a little glow light up inside him. He grinned and then punched Scott in the arm, wincing at how it was still like hitting a rock. 

‘Bug hunt tonight.’ he told Derek. ‘Initiation for the n00bs.’

‘Nobody says n00bs anymore, Stiles.’ Derek sighed. ‘Not for a very long time.’

‘Like you were ever an authority on pop culture.’ Stiles huffed. ‘You didn’t even know how long the internet took.’ He sighed wistfully. ‘God, I miss the internet. And curly fries. And comic books.’

‘Twinkies.’ Scott muttered next to him. ‘You know how hard it is to find those?’

‘Pizza. And baseball.’ Derek said and put his mug down. ‘You ever hunt vamps, Scott?’

‘Not yet.’ Scott replied. ‘Can’t be worse than all the other shit, right?’

‘Um, yeah. You might want to revise those expectations.’ Stiles aid and shared a knowing look with Derek. ‘Vamps are not nice, dude.’

‘Which of your pack is up to speed?’ Derek asked and Stiles could see that his brain had come online, already assessing and working out a strategy. 

‘Jordan, obviously.’ Scott said, frowning. ‘Liam is still kind of reckless but he’s a good fighter. Corey and Mason are not good calls. They’ve been really traumatised by a lot and I’d rather not put them in a position where they have to fight just yet.’

‘They can stay behind.’ Derek said. ‘Cora will be here with Zac. I won’t risk her on a run with vamps. Thea always stays behind and Melissa can be with her and look after Lydia and the cubs.’

‘Will the whole pack be hunting?’ Scott asked. ‘How does that even work with you and Ben?’

‘The way it should, with cooperation and mutual respect.’ Stiles said. ‘It helps that Erin and I have a strong bond. Kelly will be holding the wards while we’re gone, but they need us both for something like this. Vamps are hard to take down.’ 

‘Okay.’ Scott said. ‘I’m in too.’ He gave them a smile, but it was tight. ‘I’d like to know what kinds of shit we would be up against if we run into them.’

‘Alright.’ Derek said. ‘We’ll meet up at the main building to go over the plan for tonight.’

‘Tonight?’ Scott looked at Stiles, frowning. ‘I thought you said only an idiot would hunt vamps at night.’

Stiles snickered. 

‘Yeah, but we know what we’re doing.’ he replied and Derek rolled his eyes at him. ‘Shut up, we do.’

‘Some things never change.’ Scott huffed and got up. ‘You’re still crazy. And reckless.’

‘Yeah.’ Stiles grinned. ‘But now I’ve got the chops to back it up.’

**************

Ben stood at the conference table and studied the map. Noah was sitting on the other side, chin in hand and dozing. He was now a were but the lateness of his bite meant he still had some old habits and this was one of them. 

The sound of footsteps had them both raising their heads and they looked up to see Parrish standing in the doorway. Ben smiled, welcoming him in.

‘You’re looking better.’ he said and Parrish nodded. 

‘A couple of days’ sleep and food does wonders.’ he replied, coming into the room. ‘I heard about tonight and I was wondering if I could help.’

‘Another pair of hands is always welcome, son.’ Ben straightened up. ‘Noah says you were one of his best.’

Noah hid a smile at the look of surprised pride on Parrish’s face. 

‘It’s true.’ he said. ‘You were remarkably easy to work with. In spite of the time you set the filing cabinet on fire.’

‘In my defense Sheriff, you startled me.’ Parrish replied. ‘What can I do?’

‘You obviously know your way around a weapon.’ Ben said. ‘You were Infantry?’

‘Bomb disposal.’ Parrish said, coming to look at the map of the city. ‘Don’t know this place though so you’ll have to fill me in.’

‘Okay.’ Ben gestured to the map. ‘The green line is the ward set up by our Sparks. Anything that crosses that gets pinged and we need to get them out. Vamps are nesters. Once they set up in the dark places deep under a city, they’re a bitch to remove.’

‘Think insurgents.’ Noah told him. ‘Except super strong, super fast and with a very nasty bite.’ He frowned and looked at Ben. ‘You think he’ll be immune?’

‘Good point.’ Ben said and then put his head back. The howl echoed through the building and a few minutes later, Mal appeared at the door. 

‘What’s up, Pop?’ He came into the room, nodding at Noah and Parrish. 

‘Can you get your ass over to Erin’s?’ Ben asked. ‘ I need some info on hellhounds. Also get Luke to come back with you and pick up Derek too. We need to talk battle plans.’

‘I think he might be a step ahead of you.’ Mal grinned. ‘I sent McCall over there about a couple of hours ago. He wanted to go talk to Stiles.’

‘Good.’ Ben said, the glanced at Parrish. ‘Looks like your alpha is on board too.’

‘He’s not my alpha, sir.’ Parrish said and although there was no anomicity in his voice, Noah could see that there was also no sense of loyalty either. ‘I’m with them because of Lydia.’ 

‘No offence meant.’ Ben rumbled, his eyes now alight with interest. 

‘None taken.’ Parrish replied. ‘Scott’s a good kid, don’t get me wrong. I just don’t have the same bond with the pack that the wolves do.’

‘I’d make a lone wolf joke about now, but maybe I’ll leave that to Stiles.’ Noah said. ‘So where do your loyalties lie, apart from Lydia.’

‘Well, Beacon Hills turned into a shitshow.’ Parrish snorted. ‘I would have left a hell of a lot earlier if she had been able to. She stayed for her mom, but it ate at her. Valack did a real number on her while she was in Eichen House. He trepinated her, brought all her latent powers out and Scott was so twisted up by Theo he left her in there until I got her out.’ His mouth was set in a hard line. ‘She’s never been the same since.’

‘I’m sorry to hear that.’ Noah sighed. ‘I always like Natalie and Lydia. They didn’t deserve any of that bullshit.’

‘Natalie being killed was kind of the last straw.’ Parrish sat down, all the fight now drained out of him. ‘It was quick but she died in front of Lydia and she just about screamed the whole fucking place down. She tore up trees, shattered every goddamn window in about a twenty meter radius. It was a hell of a thing to see.’

Ben looked at Noah and Noah knew without asking that he was seeking permission. After all, it had been Stiles that had posited the idea. 

‘We might be able to help with that.’ he said and Parrish looked up, a dreadful hope burning in his green eyes. 

‘You can?’ he asked. ‘How?’

‘I think that’s something you’d have to talk to the Sparks about.’ Ben said. ‘And Thea. But there might be a way to get her back.’

‘Jesus.’ Parrish was clearly fighting his emotions and trying to stay calm. ‘That would be just about the best news I could get.’

‘Well, let’s not get ahead of ourselves.’ Ben told him, but his voice was gentle. ‘We need to deal with this problem first and then we’ll get on that.’

Parrish nodded and then he was looking at Noah.

‘I’ll stay.’ he said and Noah blinked in surprise. ‘If you can fix her, I’ll stay and fight with you. If would be the least I could do.’

‘No, that’s not how it works.’ Noah smiled. ‘This isn’t some quid pro quo thing, Jordan. It we can help Lydia, we’ll do it because we want to and it’s the right thing to do.’

‘So would staying to help.’ Parrish was insistent. ‘I’m tired of running. I’m tired of being on the defensive. I want to take the fight to them for a change.’

Ben looked at Mal, who looked at Noah and Noah shrugged. 

‘Okay, you’re in.’ He chuckled. ‘Just don’t say we didn’t warn you.’

***********

The sun broke out from behind the clouds and Stiles luxuriated in the warmth, stretching in his deck chair. Scott had stayed for breakfast (oatmeal and honey from Thea and Ana’s beehives) and then gone back to talk to Ben. Derek was getting dressed to follow suit and he came out on the deck, shrugging into his jacket. It was a sensible sheepskin lined denim and Stiles caught him by the lapel when he leaned in for a kiss. 

‘I miss the leather.’ he said when Derek pulled back. ‘Now you’re more farmer than bad boy.’

‘So?’ Derek grinned. ‘Isn’t that where Clark Kent grew up?’ 

‘Sure.’ Stiles replied, smirking at him. ‘But I always preferred Batman.’

‘Bullshit.’ Derek chuckled. ‘You wanted to leave me to die on more than one occasion if you recall.’ He straightened up and gave a soft howl, the sound carrying across to the houseboat next to them. Stiles snickered at the adorable face Derek made when he did that. It was almost as cute as the way he howled in his wolf form. The first time Stiles had seen him do that, he’d had heart-eyes for days. 

It took a moment but Luke eventually came out, also dressed and ready to go. Erin followed, still deshabille and now also walking a little funny. She kissed Luke and he hopped over to their deck. 

‘I’ll see you later, babe.’ Derek gave Stiles one last peck and the two wolves left. Stiles listened to them talking quietly until the sound of the door closing reached his ears. He got up and stretched. 

‘At least we’ll have the day off.’ he said and Erin grinned. 

‘You want to play mahjong?’ she asked. ‘Noshiko is coming round.’

‘What are the stakes?’ Stiles asked. He didn’t fancy getting his ass handed to him as often happened when he played with the kitsunes. 

‘No stakes.’ Erin yawned. ‘We need to make our own plans.’

‘Fine.’ Stiles came to the edge of his deck and jumped over, flailing for a moment until he regained his balance. ‘I want to talk to Kira about last night anyway.’

‘Mmm.’ Erin’s eyes twinkled. ‘I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall for that one. Isaac was pretty much vibrating out of his skin.’

‘He’s been carrying that torch a long time.’ Stiles said, following her inside. ‘Maybe now he can finally have his chance.’

‘It’s all very incestuous.’ Erin laughed. ‘How the hell did you all keep it straight, if you’ll pardon the expression.’

‘Good fucking question.’ Stiles laughed and tripped over a throw rug. The whole place looked like a bordello. Erin was a fan of soft furnishings and strangely enough, so was Luke. They had stolen what seemed like every cushion and pillow in Portland. 

‘You want tea?’ Erin asked and then frowned when there was a knock at the door, her eyes going distant and glowing softly. ‘It’s Mal.’

She went to let him in and the wolf looked around and then waved at Stiles. 

‘Where’s Luke?’ he asked and she cackled. 

‘You just missed him and Derek.’ she said. ‘They’ve gone to talk to Ben. Why didn’t you just howl?’

‘I felt like a walk.’ Mal said. ‘And Dad wants me to ask you about hellhounds.’

‘Ha.’ Stiles stole one of the oatmeal cookies that Luke had made and bit into it, crumbs going everywhere. ‘I was waiting for that.’

‘What does he want to know?’ Erin was already making for the heavy wooden trunk she used as a coffee table, opening it and taking out her bestiary. 

‘Immunity to vamps.’ Mal also stole a cookie and winked at Stiles. ‘He wants to come on the hunt tonight.’ 

‘Should be fine.’ Erin said. ‘I mean he’s not toxic like a wolf would be, but he’s going to be on fire and you know vamps and fire.’ She grinned. ‘Actually he’s going to be damn useful. I wonder what his control’s like.’

‘Pretty good from what I remember.’ Stiles said. ‘But his range was limited. Maybe he’s stronger now?’

‘He was talking to Dad and Noah about staying too.’ Mal added. ‘They told him what you said about Lydia, Stiles. He was pretty fucking happy at there even being a chance to cure her.’

‘Great.’ Stiles rolled his eyes. ‘No pressure then.’

‘Shut up, you.’ Erin was now sitting on the floor, paging through the bestiary. ‘You love Lydia and you’ll be the first one to put pressure on yourself.’

‘I hate it when you do that.’ Stiles grumbled, coming to sit next to her. ‘And of course I do, she was one of my best friends and I feel like shit for leaving her behind to what amounted to having her brain drilled.’

‘Not your fault, kid.’ Erin cuffed him gently. ‘You can’t save anyone.’ She gave Mal a sharp look, eyeballing the beta who now had two cookies in his mouth. ‘I’m going to grass you out to Ana if you keep doing that.’

‘But they’re so good.’ Mal protested, his mouth full. ‘And the kids always eat mine.’

‘That’s because you’re a sucker.’ Erin snorted and waved him off. ‘Now, go away. We need to talk magic.’

Mal chuckled and gave them a cheery goodbye, slamming the door closed on his way out and making Erin roll her eyes. 

‘So what are we going to do?’ Stiles was excited. He loved this part, the planning that would be set into motion by them once they got out there. 

‘Well, they tripped the north wards at the airport.’ Erin replied. ‘I’m thinking that they wouldn’t want to go to far south before finding somewhere to bunk down today. We can put a cordon along the 84 and the 99E. Kira and Noshiko can take the 205 with Julio and the river will keep them in on the northern side.’

‘That’s still a shitload of houses to search.’ Stiles chewed on a nail. ‘It’s going to take all night.’

‘We can set up a ward to make sure they don’t get out.’ Erin got to the section on hellhounds and started reading. ‘Make sure we get all of them. We’ve got a couple of humans here now. Can’t have them bitten.’

‘No.’ Stiles frowned. ‘Although I do wonder why Mason and Melissa are still human. It would have made sense for Scott to turn them.’

‘Who knows.’ Erin glanced at him. ‘Would he have turned you?’

‘I don’t know.’ Stiles sat back and sighed. ‘Probably not. Not that it would have taken anyway.’

‘No.’ Erin set the book down as there was another knock. ‘It’s like Grand Central today.’

Noshiko and Kira came in without waiting past the knock. Both of them were carrying backpacks and Stiles wriggled in anticipation. They were both good scavengers and always came back with things they thought the Sparks would need. 

‘Noshiko.’ Erin smiled and got up to greet Noshiko. She had spent a good part of her life in Asia and spoke Japanese. ‘It’s good to see you.’

‘You too.’ Noshiko smiled and handed her the backpack. ‘We got some good stuff. Found an esoteric shop that was pretty much intact in Tacoma.’ 

‘Excellent.’ Erin lead her to the kitchen . ‘You want some tea?’

Kira came to sit down next to Stiles, dumping her backpack in his lap and smiling over her shoulder at her mother. He gave her a raised eyebrow and she laughed. 

‘It wasn’t anywhere as dramatic as you think it was.’ she told him. ‘But I think he was a little surprised to find out that I hadn’t exactly been crying over him.’   
‘Well that’s Scott, isn’t it?’ Stiles started digging through the backpack, taking out crystals and packets of herbs and candles in a variety of colours. ‘This is all great, thanks.’ he leaned over and kissed her cheek and Kira shoved at him, her eyes glowing orange. 

‘Isaac must be pleased.’ Her smile was sly and he snorted a laugh. 

‘Isaac’s damn tail hasn’t stopped wagging since Scott got here.’ he started lining objects up along the top of the trunk. ‘Erin wants you guys to hold the western edge of the wards tonight.’

‘Sure.’ Kira picked up a crystal sphere and juggled it from hand to hand. ‘Is Scott coming out to play with us?’

‘Yeah.’ Stiles grinned at her. ‘You going to show off?’

‘Yeah.’ Kira smiled back at him. ‘Like you’re not.’

Stiles burst out laughing. 

‘You know me far too well.’ he said and Kira beamed and fistbumped him.


	6. Roadtrip

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> School's about to start and it's time to get away for a night.

Four weeks. It seemed like a reasonable amount of time for things to get worked out between two (sort of) adults. Unfortunately, it had turned out to be four weeks of sniping and bitchy comments and glaring at each other over the pack dining table. If it hadn’t been so amusing to everyone else, Stiles suspected that Ben and his father would have whacked their heads together and been done with it. 

It was the last Friday before school started and he was feeling antsier than usual. He’d expected to be slowly weaned himself off the Adderall under Erin’s watchful eye, the magic he was now using daily helping to drain him of energy and focus. She’d instead given him a stern talking to about taking the help that was being offered and dragged him to get his prescription filled. Thankfully, Thea was a doctor and more than happy to write his scripts for him, the name on the piece of paper a combination of his actual birth name and his mother’s maiden name. Noah had undergone the same treatment, taking the Anglicised version of his second name so now they were officially Mieczysław Gajos and John Gajos on their new driving licenses and other paperwork that the pack had worked up for them. Stiles had glared at his father for three days for having his name re-inflicted on him and Noah had chuckled like he’d pulled off the caper of the century. It had been agreed that he would be called Mitch at school and he’d begrudgingly agreed. 

He was going back into the start of senior year, a step back but not an unwelcome one. Stiles knew he’d let his schoolwork go in the past six months and that only his father’s connections had kept the internship afloat. It felt good to have a second chance and he wondered just how much that had all been preying on his mind in the background. He would be in the same year as Zach, Ellie and Ewan. They were enrolled at Anacortes High school with Zach and Ewan playing for the Seahawks football team, while Ellie was on the girls’ basketball team. There was no lacrosse, something that grated Stiles intensely but he’d been reassured to see that their track and field teams were good. It felt odd to try on the blue and white kit instead of his old colours, but then he was on his way to being a whole new person. 

Erin and Kelly took up most of his day now. It usually started with him getting up with the sunrise and making coffee and breakfast for himself and packing lunch before he headed out, booted and dressed for riding. The mornings were devoted to learning about the natural environment and the island was huge. Stiles had been very suspicious of having to ride a horse but he was now more or less comfortable. They’d given him the oldest, sleepiest gelding in the stables. His name was Firecracker and Noah liked to joke that the only way he would move was if they stuck a firecracker up his ass. He was a blue roan with heavy black feathering and he had a weakness for nibbling on Stiles’ sleeves and imperial mints. He was only one of five horses, the wolves preferring to shift and run if they had to go anywhere.

Once Firecracker was tacked up and Erin and Kelly, who always beat him to the stable, were satisfied that he’d secured the saddle appropriately (there had been an unfortunate incident where Stiles hadn’t cottoned onto the fact that Firecracker liked to blow his belly out to make the girth looser and he’d ended up hanging upside down under the horse’s belly) they would head out to the far meadows and groves of trees. It was always pleasant, the skies above shirred in silver and rose pink and gold and the smell of evergreen thick in the air. Sometimes one or more of the pack would join them, jogging alongside the horses and yipping to each other. Stiles would identify them by their coats and sizes as Erin quizzed him on whose call was whose. It was very important she said that an emissary knew their wolves inside and out. Stiles had grumbled about stupid boneheaded wolves that still hadn’t gotten their alpha powers back and she’d laughed and zapped him, making him run his arm and swear.

It turned out that Spark could be a literal term. Erin had explained that they had their own powers, but that Sparks also shared some things in common. Electricity was one of them and while Stiles would never be able to use it the way Kira might have, he was naturally immune to any lethal effects thanks to what turned out to be his own natural power. Kelly was already well versed in using hers, able to light up bulbs and power her electronics, but he was still struggling. Electricity reminded him of the nogitsune and he was still loathe to access that part of himself. It did mean that Erin and Kelly could both use their Sparks to zap him, a charge about a couple of times stronger than normal static that wasn’t painful per se but which made him yelp. 

There had been other things he’d had to learn as well. His ability to use Mountain Ash far superceded that of Kelly and made him feel a little more confident about what he was doing. He’d certainly impressed Erin and she now had him working with it daily. He no longer needed to scatter it by hand, simply throw it in the air and direct it where he wanted it. He’d even gotten it to the point where he could ward vertically as well as horizontally and be able to seal off corridors. It was cool and fun and Stiles loved that part of his training. He also excelled at warding without using mountain ash and had been gleeful the first time he’d successfully warded the kitchen shelf that held his junk food from Noah. The swearing had been colourful and the throw pillow hurled in his direction had been worth it even if it had smacked him right in the mouth. His father had excellent aim. 

There had been lessons in plant magic, supernatural creatures and moon magic. The last was all important to a wolf pack emissary and it meant that Stiles’ spent a fair number of nights out under the stars and moon. He was learning to feel it through his magic, to track the cycle and understand how it affected the wolves. It would be full moon on Saturday night and he would be getting his introduction to the islands most important inhabitant - the Sherman’s Nemeton. He’d found out about it about a week into their stay when something had reached out to him in his sleep and he’d dreamed of a tree out in the forest. 

It had been so similar to the Beacon Hill’s Nemeton and yet so different. The sinister nature of the one in Beacon Hills had always made Stiles feel very uneasy around it but the one on the Sherman’s island felt anything but unwelcoming. It was like being surrounded by warm golden sunshine, the smell of green things and fresh air and wood floor all coming together to make something very special. Stiles had stood and stared at it, hearing it whisper in a language too old for understanding. He’d asked Erin about it the next day and she’d smiled and said he’d had his first official test and passed with flying colours. The Nemeton had decided he was worthy and the connection grew stronger and stronger as the days passed. He would be meeting in person the night of the full moon, a small ceremony that would see Erin take him as her official apprentice and start him on the road to becoming an emissary. 

Stiles would not be studying today though. Zach and the twins had decided that they needed a night of teenage shenanigans before school started and Stiles had been astonished to learn that Seattle had a thriving supernatural scene, including clubs where nobody would look twice at a shifted werewolf and the drinking laws were very flexible. He’d been roped into going with, seeing as he was now a part of their little group. 

He liked them all very much. It was great having people his own age to hang out with. As much as he adored Erin and Kelly, there was only so much of them he could take, and Zach and the twins were funny and irreverent and as sarcastic as he was. Ellie had a brain that reminded him very much of Lydia, while Ewan had the same sweetness Scott had had before his Alpha power had changed him into someone Stiles no longer recognised. Zach was like a reincarnation of Boyd, strong and gentle and soft-spoken. He doted on his younger siblings and cousins, helped out wherever needed and had a cutting wit that came out in the most unexpected situations. 

It had hurt a little and now that Stiles had the space and time to think about what the past two years of his life had been like, he could feel things that he’d put away at the time. He’d liked Boyd and his death had hit hard, but he’d never really appreciated just how much. Becoming friends with Zach brought those feelings back but in a way that made him smile rather than cry. In fact, the whole pack was doing that. They were like any other extended family, prone to bickering and laughing and the love between them was blatantly obvious. It made Stiles start to appreciate just how much Derek must have lost when Kate murdered his family and how little he and Scott had cared about the emotional devastation Derek must have felt when he came back to Beacon Hills to find his sister cut in half and left in the Preserve. It shamed Stiles, remembering how he’d treated her as something to go gawk at, and how he and Scott had been towards someone not too much older than they were who was grieving so terribly. 

With that in mind, he’d made a few tentative overtures towards Derek, but Derek was keeping his distance. He’d changed though, Stiles could see that much. He was more open, happier and more relaxed. The similarity to Boyd hadn’t gone unnoticed by him either and he spent a great deal of time with Zach, and with Luke. The older wolf scared Stiles a little, but he’d bonded with Noah over their shared military experience and it was the three of them that could often be found sitting around the pack house firepit with a beer in hand. He hadn’t realised just how much history Noah and Derek had or how much Derek looked up to his father. That had been a surprise but entirely welcome. 

Now he stood at the foot of his bed, shirts in hand as he packed his backpack for the overnight trip and smiled as he thought about how his life had changed as well as the momentous step he’d be taking in just a couple of days.

‘Stiles?’ Noah’s voice came from the living room. ‘Kid, you want breakfast before you go?’

‘Nah.’ He stuffed the shirts in on top of everything else, zipped his backpack closed and swung it onto his shoulder. When he came out, Noah was frying eggs and humming to himself. He gave Stiles a stern look.

‘Now, just because you’re being allowed out tonight does not mean I want you drinking.’ he said. ‘The wolves don’t need to have to drag your drunk ass home.’

Stiles laughed and went over to give him a hug. He was excited that much was true. The island had been good to them both but he was looking forward to a night of clubbing until his feet hurt and he had a good buzz on. It would be good for him to get away from Derek too. The lingering awkwardness hadn’t done anything to temper his feelings, in fact seeing this new Derek with his soft gel-free hair and plaid shirts and worn out jeans carrying wood around and playing with the littler wolves was doing Stiles no good at all. His masturbation habits had kicked right back in like he was sixteen again and he’d been the recipient of more than one knowing look when he got caught looking at the way Derek’s shirts pulled tight across his shoulders when he was swinging an axe or helping Luke and Ben with the various caretaking jobs around the packhouses. 

Getting away was going to definitely be good. Maybe he’d even find someone to get up close and personal with.

‘I’ll be good.’ He let Noah go and gave him a winning smile. ‘I promise. Scout’s honour.’

‘If I remember correctly you got Scott kicked out of Scouts when you set fire to your Scoutmaster’s tent.’ Noah reminded him. ‘So that kind of fills me with a sense of foreboding.’ 

‘Yeah but this time, I’m an adult.’ Stiles snickered. He grabbed his jacket and waved goodbye before leaving the cabin and heading over to the pack house. Ellie and ean were already there, snacking on cookies and tea. Ewan growled happily and came over to get Stiles in a headlock, ruffling his hair and making him flail. He’d come to learn that manhandling was definitely a wolf thing. 

‘Get off me, you fleabag!’ he yelled and struggled until Ewan let him go and chuckled. Like his older sister, he was dark with perfectly straight black hair that he wore to his shoulders, either loose or braided. He and Ellie looked damn near identical in spite of being fraternal twins and she came over with a mug for Stiles, a cookie in her mouth. Her near black eyes sparkled and she made a muffled noise that had Ewan rolling his eyes at her until she could chew and swallow her cookie. 

‘You want to try that again?’ he asked and she bared her teeth at him and socked him in the arm hard enough that it made Stiles wince in sympathy. Ewan flashed gold eyes at his sister and rubbed his arm ruefully. 

‘I said tonight it going to be epic.’ Ellie flopped down on the nearest couch. ‘If we can actually get on the goddamn road. Zach’s taking forever.’

‘So where exactly are we going?’ Stiles sat next to her and she immediately snuggled into his side. 

‘We’re taking you up the Needle and then we’re going down to the waterfront to feed you Korean fried chicken hearts.’ she told him, ignoring the face he made. ‘Shut up, they’re fucking delicious.’

‘Wolves.’ Stiles muttered and Ewan sat down on his other side. 

‘The club’s called Silencio.’ he said and Stiles frowned. 

‘Like in Mulholland Drive?’ he asked and they both nodded and then laughed at his astonished face. 

‘What?’ Ellie smirked. ‘You don’t seriously think David Lynch is human, do you?’

‘Then what the hell is he?’ Stiles demanded but her answer was interrupted by Zach coming in, bag over his shoulder and with someone else behind him who none of them had been expecting. 

‘Oh snap.’ Ellie said very softly and Stiles glared at the new arrival. 

‘What the hell is he doing with you?’ he asked Zach, who shrugged and grinned at them. 

‘Dad wants us to take a chaperone.’ he explained. ‘Now get your lazy asses up and down to the pier. Sil’s taking us across.’

The twins were up and barrelling out the door in a second but Stiles hung back until Zach had followed them and then looked at a rather sheepish Derek standing at the door, a duffle over his shoulder. Stiles noticed that the leather jacket with the overlong sleeves was back and felt a twinge. Cora had told him once that it had belonged to their dad and the fact that Derek now felt safe enough to wear it again tugged at his heart and that in turn made him even grumpier.

‘If it helps this wasn’t my idea.’ Derek muttered. ‘Ben’s making me.’

‘Whatever.’ Stiles swanned past him. ‘Just don’t be a Debbie Downer like you usually are.’

He heard the snort behind him followed by Derek’s footsteps but he deliberately didn’t look back, breathing as evenly as he could to keep his heart rate steady, a trick he’d been working on with Erin and Kelly. He desperately hoped that Derek wouldn’t notice how his breathing had sped up at the thought of being out for a whole night with him, far away from the rest of the adult pack and his father. 

Sil was already on board when they got there, her thick white blonde curls tied up and wrapped in a blue scarf. She liked to dress in what she called hippy chic, something that didn’t exactly go down well with the ultra orthodox community she’d grown up with in New York. Stiles had been tickled to hear there were Jewish werewolves and had joined in the laughter as she and Noah had recounted their lack of religious observation and their respective parents’ reaction to it. She and Mitch had been together since college, mating and then moving out to join the Sherman pack when Sil had gone to do her PhD in Fine Art at Washington State. Now she worked in the diner with her mate and painted gorgeous ethereal landscapes that she sold for obscene amounts of money through a classy gallery in her home city and when Mitch’s parents had been killed in a car crash of all things, they had taken the her younger siblings in as well. 

‘Come on, cubs.’ she called and laughed when they all growled at her. ‘Get your asses aboard so we don’t miss the tide.’

‘Not cubs.’ Ewan laughed as he went past her and she gave him a playful snarl, her eyes lighting up as she grabbed him in one arm and scented the crap out of him. It was something Stiles had had to get used to. Out here with nobody else around, the wolf came out instinctively. Even Derek was doing it, lifting his head to scent the air or flashing his eyes at the young ones and growling at them when they played. Stiles had done a double take the day before when Derek had scented Luke at dinner by rubbing his face along Luke’s shoulder and the older wolf had reciprocated by rubbing his cheek against Derek’s hair. There had never been that kind of physical interaction back in Beacon Hills. 

‘Always cubs.’ Sil laughed and let him go, her smile bright when she saw Stiles. ‘Oh you poor slob. They’re dragging you with?’

‘It’ll be good for him.’ Ellie insisted. ‘And we’ll stay out of trouble.’

‘Baloney.’ Sil said cheerfully. She gave Derek a sympathetic look. ‘I don’t envy having to be the babysitter.’

‘Yeah.’ His mouth was a flat line but it was missing the harshness that he’d always carried back in Beacon Hills and Stiles knew he didn’t see it as much of a burden. ‘Ben doesn’t pay me enough for this.’

There were giggles and then Ewan and Ellie were dogpiling him, hanging on and growling playfully while Derek snarled back and fell over under their onslaught, hands trying to bat them off as they pummelled him on the deck. Zach watched for all of a minute before he was in there too, leaving Stiles to stand and watch. He dearly wanted to join in but Derek hadn’t been touchy feely with him even back when they’d called each other allies and so he shoved his hands in his pockets and awkwardly made his way into the wheel house. 

They screeching outside escalated and Sil snorted a laugh and shook her head. 

‘It’s good you’re all going back to school.’ she said. ‘There’s too much damn energy going around at the moment.’ 

‘Yeah.’ Stiles came to stand next to her at the wheel. He was now a competent sailor, having learned at her and Erin’s elbows. ‘Why is he coming with us?’

‘Because Thea asked him to.’ Sil replied. ‘She knows he’ll keep them out of trouble.’

‘Really?’ Stiles scoffed. ‘Because he was kind of the opposite back home. I mean, the dude was a trouble magnet.’

‘I get the feeling that Beacon Hills itself was more the problem.’ Sil raised an inky eyebrow at him. ‘Do you want him to stay? I can always bring him back with me?’

‘No, not if Thea told him to come.’ Stiles grumbled. ‘I was just looking forward to cutting loose a little.’

‘Well, did you ever stop to think that maybe so does he?’ Sil asked, the corners of her mouth quirking.

Stiles huffed and looked back at where Derek had made it to his feet and was holding Zach under one arm while trying to fend off the twins with the other, growling up a storm. 

‘It’s like we’re right back at where we started.’ he muttered. ‘I don’t know how to talk to him anymore.’ 

‘Honey, that’s not all you.’ Sil started the engine. ‘You know Derek doesn’t like to talk at the best of times.’ 

‘I know.’ Stiles sighed and leaned on the console. ‘It’s just he used to be able to talk to me. Before his dumb ass took off with that stupid hot bounty hunter.’

‘I heard she was pretty hot.’ Sil grinned. ‘But then again, Derek wasn’t in love with her.’

‘Huh?’ Stiles’ elbow slipped off the polished wood and he landed up scrabbling to keep his balance. 

‘Oh please, like you don’t know.’ Sil steered the boat away from the dock. The others were now all at the stern howling goodbye and Stiles picked out Derek’s light tenor note among them far more easily than he liked. 

‘He’s not in love with me.’ he said, the ache in his chest so real it felt like it was physical. 

‘He’s always been in love with you.’ Sil snorted. ‘There’s things you don’t know.’

Stiles thought about the bestiary that Erin had had him studying, how the part about werewolves talked about bonds and mates. 

‘That’s bullshit.’ he spluttered. ‘He thinks I’m an asshole.’

‘That’s because you are an asshole, Stiles.’ Sil snickered. ‘But so is he. You’re a matched pair.’

‘Fuck off.’ Stiles huffed and she laughed at him. 

***********

Out on deck, Ellie and Ewan were now in a heated debate about slow versus quick zombies and Zach leaned on the stern rail, his dark eyes thoughtful when they fixed on Derek. 

‘So, you want to tell me why Mom sent you with us?’ he asked, grinning at him in a way that instantly raised Derek’s suspicions. 

‘It was you, you little shit.’ He bared his teeth at him and Zach’s grin widened. 

‘I might have had a hand in it.’ he said. ‘Come on, man. There’s only so much pining I can take. Even Luke says you stink of it and he’s the fucking King of Pine.’

‘He really is.’ Derek couldn’t help a smile. Luke had had heart eyes for Erin pretty much from the time he’d landed on the island. ‘And I don’t stink.’

‘You’re really fucking lucky he’s not a wolf.’ Zach chuckled. ‘But seriously man, what the hell. You like him, he likes you. We all think he’s great. You get on with his dad. Why the fuck haven’t you levelled up and told him yet?’

‘That is none of your goddamn business.’ Derek growled. ‘And we’ve got history, a lot of it really not good.’

‘But he saved your life.’ Zach pointed out. ‘And you saved his. You told me this yourself.’

‘Yeah I know.’ Derek threw a quick glance over his shoulder to where Stiles was talking to Sil inside the wheelhouse, the sound of the engines drowning out whatever they were saying. ‘But I know if he had a choice, I wouldn’t be it.’

‘Well, that’s a pile of crap.’ Zach snorted. ‘You haven’t even asked him.’

‘Why are you pushing this?’ Derek growled. 

‘Because you need to move on.’ Zack told him. ‘I know the shit you’ve been dealt. I know that you got fucked over and kept getting fucked over until you put your tail between your ,legs and ran. Christ, anyone would have. I know you think you’re not worthy, that gaining the full shift was a mistake, that you don’t deserve your pack’s legacy. But that’s all it is, so much human bullshit that’s been put on you.’ 

‘I hurt a lot of people, Zach.’ Derek looked down into the churning water. ‘I got people killed because I was a bad alpha.’

‘And you were a bad alpha because nobody taught you a thing about how to be a good one. But you know what else? You didn’t go feral. You never let the power take away what you are and you tried. That’s a lot more than many can say. The fact that you stayed alive as long as you did and always tried to help makes you worthy. And right now, it’s still in there trying to come out.’ Zach reached out and tapped Derek on the chest. ‘You just need to believe in yourself and tap into it.’

‘Easier said than done.’ Derek sighed. 

************

‘So Sunday.’ Stiles leaned over backwards, squinting at Sil. ‘You guys going to be involved in that?’

‘Not the introduction to the Nemeton part, no.’ Sil said. ‘That’s just for you, Kelly and Erin. But afterwards there will be the run and the post run hot tub.’

Stiles had heard about the hot springs at the north of the island but had yet to see them for himself. The wolves used them to soak in after full moon runs and they were also used for more private time as well. While privacy wasn’t so much an issue among the pack, it was occasionally warranted. 

‘I won’t have to be naked will I?’ he asked and Sil laughed out loud, her curls bobbing. 

‘You’re precious.’ she cackled. ‘But no. You don’t have to be naked.’

‘Oh thank God.’ Stiles breathed a sigh of relief. ‘I mean it’s not like I’m super ripped or anything, especially not compared to you wolves. You all pretty much won the genetic lottery.’

‘I don’t know about that.’ Sil had a manic grin on her face, her eyes glinting. ‘Your dad is pretty hot stuff for a human.’

‘Oh ew.’ Stiles did a full body shudder. ‘Please don’t say shit like that.’

‘What, he is.’ Sil was on a roll. ‘Mitch and I have thought about asking him for a threesome.’

‘Jesus!’ Stiles stuck his fingers in his ears. ‘No, I am so not listening.’

‘You know who else is a babe?’ Sil wasn’t letting it go. Stiles would make a dog and bone joke if he was sure that she wouldn’t throw him overboard. ‘Derek. Those eyes. I mean, what even is that colour. Not to mention that he’s got legs that go on for days and an ass that just won’t quit.’

‘You’re not helping.’ Stiles snapped. ‘And it’s not like I’m blind, but that’s not all he is okay? He’s smart and really funny in this sharp dry way that nobody else gets but me and he doesn’t take any shit and he keeps getting up when he gets knocked down and he’s just…’ He trailed off, narrowing his eyes at her triumphant smile. ‘Oh, fuck you. I’m not in love with him.’

‘Keep telling yourself that, sugar.’ Sil chuckled. 

***********

The boat pulled in alongside the dock and Derek took the opportunity to hop off the boat and tie off the bow stern line. He avoided looking at where Stiles was saying goodbye to Sil, knowing that his conflicted scent would broadcast how he felt to everyone else there. 

When Thea had asked him to go look after them, he’d seriously considered saying no. But then something inside him had finally cracked and he’d had the tiniest moment of hoping that maybe they’d finally get a chance to talk about things far away from the pack and everyone else, because after all was said and done Zach was right. Derek had been crushing every feeling inside him before it even got started since the fire, only to have his guts ripped out when Laura was killed. Then had come the thing with Peter and being betrayed by Scott, followed by losing his new pack and finding Cora only to nearly have her taken away too. He’d been fucked up by Jennifer and her magic, lost control of himself and woken up to find that they’d had sex and that he remembered none of it, when the very scent of her made him feel nauseous. It was a wonder he’d made it out with his sanity intact, never mind his ability to trust or love anyone else. 

He’d known Stiles was special from that very first time they’d met in the woods. After that it was like the universe was conspiring to throw them together. Derek had wanted to tell him so many times but he’d always come back to how his life was a never-ending cycle of loss and pain and if Stiles was his mate, then losing him would be the final break that would tear Derek apart. It had taken him a month to even let the other wolves touch him, to scent and be scented in return. The little ones reminded him of his baby cousins and it had hurt so badly that he’d lost it one night, running deep into the woods and howling until his throat had cracked and he’d lain down in the grass wanting to die. 

But now, the wind smelled different. It held possibility and so when the others came barrelling off the boat with their bags he decided that maybe he would need to be strong one more time. He went to the rail and waited, smiling as he watched Stiles grab his stuff and try to make his way off, trademark clumsiness in full effect as he almost slipped and fell into the water before Derek caught him, steadying him so they were face to face. Stiles gasped audibly, his brown eyes lighting up amber when he looked up at Derek, hope blooming in his own scent. 

Derek set him on his feet and took his bag from him, smiling because he couldn’t help it. Something about Stiles just made him happy.

‘You’d think you’d have grown out of that by now.’ he said and Stiles gave him a haughty little sniff, but the warm sugary pleasure in his scent was undeniable. 

‘Look asshole.’ He poked Derek in the chest. ‘Just because you’ve gone all sea-wolf, doesn’t mean I can’t fall in the water if I want to.’

It was so absurdly Stiles, Derek felt a laugh being dragged out of him. 

‘Well then I’d just have to go in after you, wouldn’t I?’ he said and the surprise on Stiles’ face was all worth it. 

‘You would?’ he asked and Derek leaned in, breathing in Stiles’ scent as deeply as he could as he rested their foreheads together. 

‘You did.’ he said. ‘You held me up for hours.’

‘Yeah.’ Stiles’ eyes were locked with his, his face open and impossibly beautiful. ‘I thought you might have forgotten.’

‘No.’ Derek stepped back and took his hand, linking their fingers together tightly. ‘I didn’t.’


	7. Smoke Them Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The hunt gets underway and Scott realises that Stiles has changed an awful lot.

Dusk fell and Scott was not sure about anything they were about to do, but even he was being caught up in the sense of anticipation that ran through the packs, including his own wolves. Ben and Derek had laid out the plan for him and given he, Parrish and Liam their roles to play. He would be with Noah and Luke, their truck carrying the other wolves from Derek’s pack while Liam and Parrish would supplement Ben’s pack meaning that he could leave Zach and Cora to look after the compound with Mason and Corey in support. 

The afternoon had been given over to kitting out and Scott’s eyes had nearly bugged out of his head when Mal and Luke had taken him and Jordan down to the basement of the main building and to a room right at the end of the corridor past the infirmary where Lydia was. It turned out to be a makeshift arsenal with every kind of weapon one could ask for. They’d told him that they’d looted Kitsap, taking all the useful things they could and splitting them between the packs that held the border line. It was the first time Scott had heard about other packs besides theirs, but Derek had told him that there were at least three other sites like theirs as far as Idaho Falls. 

He’d been handed weapons, a handgun and a automatic compact rifle. Scott had hesitated but Luke had pressed them on him, telling him that claws would not be anywhere near as effective as live rounds against vampires. They were fast and savage, resistant to anything but direct decapitation or staking, and their numbers meant the wolves needed an edge. Parrish handled his with ease, his military training kicking right back in, but he and Liam had needed some hands on instruction. Finally they were deemed competent and spilt up, Luke taking Scott with him over to the Hale pack truck. 

Isaac was waiting there, dressed and armed. Scott hated to admit it but it was a very good look on him, all lean lines and devil-may-care smile when he came over. His clothing was dark, jeans and a navy blue henley with a thick shemagh around his neck, his light eyes and dark gold hair making him look more like a fashion model than a vigilante fighter. He only realised he was standing staring when someone bumped his shoulder with theirs, hard enough to make him stumble. 

‘Stop staring, asshole.’ Stiles’ grin was wicked. ‘He gets that you like him. This isn’t high school anymore.’

‘Shut up.’ Scott said automatically, feeling his face heat up. He fell into step with Stiles and noticed that he was only equipped with his baseball bat. ‘Is that all you’re taking?’

‘It’s all I need.’ Stiles said. He nodded at the others already in the back and Scott ducked his head as Jackson gave him the stink eye. Of all of them, he was yet to be even remotely civil to Scott, although he’d been fine with the others from his pack, even Parrish. 

‘He’s our little firestarter.’ Peter drawled, leaning over the rail of the truck alongside the rest of the pack. ‘He doesn’t need such crude things as guns.’ His tone was scornful and next to him, Chris chuckled. 

‘These guns have saved your ass more times than I can count.’ he reminded him and Peter snorted again and winked at Scott. 

‘Just try and stay out of the line of fire and you’ll be fine.’ he said and Scott frowned. 

‘I’m here to help fight.’ he replied and there was a derisory noise from Jackson. 

‘Jacks.’ Ethan sighed and turned, giving him a stern look. ‘Cut it out. Everyone gets a second chance, remember.’

‘Doesn’t mean he’s not still a douchebag.’ Jackson muttered, flicking out his kanima claws, and Scott seriously started to rethink taking part. 

‘Enough.’ Stiles said and his voice cut through the air, the authority in it surprising Scott. ‘We need everyone on board. This is a big swarm we’re going after and more hands mean fewer injuries.’

The pack fell quiet and Scott gave him a grateful look. Stiles just patted his shoulder and then leaned in the window of the cab. Noah was doing the driving and he gave his son his hand and then beckoned to Scott. 

‘You’re in here with me, kid.’ he said and then looked back at Stiles. ‘You’re going out with Derek?’

‘Yes.’ Stiles replied. ‘Erin and I are going to cordon the fuckers in and then we can go street by street. We’ll have Kira and Noshiko to go in first with the lightning flare, that will get the bugs on the run. They’ll go underground and that means we can pick them off.’ 

As if on cue, Scott’s ears picked up the sound of motorbikes and soon enough two sleek black Kawasakis pulled in behind him and Stiles. He watched as Kira pushed her visor up, eyes glowing orange and her katana strapped to her back. Next to her, Noshiko seemed content to simply wait. 

‘We ready to go?’ Kira asked and Stiles nodded. 

‘Just waiting on the alphas.’ he replied. Scott tried not to look like he was staring but then Kira met his eyes, her own flaring once before she dropped her visor. Both bikes pulled out in a roar of engines and Stiles gave Scott a gentle shove in the direction of the truck. 

‘Get in.’ he said and Scott frowned. 

‘What about you?’ he asked and Stiles nodded over his shoulder.   
‘My ride’s on his way.’ he said and Scott turned and then averted his eyes. He was never going to get used to Derek walking around with his dick out but that was exactly what the alpha was doing. Not only him, but Ben as well. with both of them wearing what looked liked kevlar webbing harnesses around their torsos that hung loose. The older wolf was massive, his barrel chest and solid thighs giving him the build of a defensive linesman. He wasn’t as ripped as Derek, his belly softer and pelted in silvery grey curls, but his sheer bulk was more impressive. Next to him, Erin was dwarfed. Like Stiles she was dressed in black, her hood up and her eyes glowing a steady violet underneath. Tonight she wasn’t armed either, resting a quarterstaff against her shoulder instead. 

‘I don’t get it.’ Scott said and Stiles laughed as Derek came up next to him, his own eyes lighting up. 

‘It’s kind of like Transformers.’ he said and Derek gave him the eyebrows. 

‘That’s a dumbass analogy.’ he said and Stiles snickered. 

‘Better than the Pokemon one.’ he countered and Derek growled at him. ‘Let’s just say this isn’t even his final form.’

‘Everybody ready?’ Derek asked, shaking his head as Stiles cackled at Scott’s confusion, and Luke came around the truck. His eyes were glowing a steady blue.

‘All locked and loaded, Boss.’ he said and went to Erin, kissing her briefly. ‘Be careful, hot stuff. No getting your ass kicked.’ 

‘You be careful yourself.’ she retorted, slapping him on the ass as he walked off and then turning to Ben. The alpha stepped out in front of the trucks, rolling his shoulders and then falling to all fours. Scott could feel this was different to the normal full shift and watched open-mouthed as Ben shifted into something that he’d never seen before. 

‘What the hell is that?’ he breathed and Erin’s smile was feral. 

‘Alpha shift.’ she replied. 

‘Fuck.’ Scott heard Liam exclaim in the other truck. ‘He’s huge!’

Ben straightened up, easily topping eight feet on his hind paws. His head was that of a wolf, only much much bigger, while his body was a longer sleeker hybrid of human and wolf. His hind legs were bent back like a wolf, but his front legs were more like arms with massive paws ending in clawed hands that looked like they could take off heads with no problem. His fur was a dense steel grey, streaked and mottled to blend into the shadows and now Scott saw why the harness had been loose because it was stretched snug across his body. 

Erin went to him as he came back down to all fours, twisting her hand in the harness at the side and vaulting onto his back easily as if he was a horse. She settled in and Scott heard a thump behind him, the sound of bones cracking and changing shape as Derek shifted. He turned and found himself face to face with something that looked like Ben but furred in inky black, crimson eyes glowing as Derek stared him down. 

‘He’s something, isn’t he?’ Stiles’ voice was heated and it made Scott blush just to see the way his former best friend was looking at his mate. He had one hand buried in Derek’s ruff, fingers gripping tight, and Derek chuffed and butted his snout into Stiles’ belly. 

‘Come on, kiddo.’ Erin called from her perch on Ben’s back. ‘Stop eye fucking him and get moving.’ 

‘Yeah, yeah I’m going.’ Stiles grinned. ‘I’ll see you later, old man. Look after the rookie.’

‘Sure thing, son.’ Noah gave him a little salute, eyes golden in the darkness of the cab. ‘Scott?’

‘Yeah.’ Scott opened the cab door and got in, watching as Stiles climbed aboard. ‘He’s seriously going to ride Derek?’

‘They move quicker that way.’ Noah explained, as Stiles gave them a jaunty wave before Derek took off, running in long elastic bounds that carried them into the darkness in seconds, Ben right behind him. 

‘I suppose.’ Scott replied, hearing the thump of Luke climbing in the back and then a bang on the cab to say they were ready. 

Noah started the truck and pulled out, no lights from the Sherman truck in his mirrors and Scott realised that he was using his wolf vision to navigate in the dark. Mal was at the wheel in the other truck, Ana in the cab next to him. The twins, Julio, Sil, Mitch, Parris and Liam were in the back and they waved as their truck passed Noah’s. He chuckled and put his foot down as they drove out through the trees of the compound and Scott felt his ears pop when they got onto the river road and left the wards. His heart started to pick up pace, then tension building as they drove towards the bridge that would take them across to what used to be downtown and the vampire hidden in every crevice. 

************

Up ahead, Stiles moved with Derek’s every bound. It never failed to get him going, the feeling of so much power underneath him and he laughed into the wind generated by Derek’s speed. Ben was a couple of paces ahead, his silvery tail carried low and his head perfectly level as he ran. Erin was a graceful rider, sitting lightly on his broad back, whereas Stiles was more of a bouncer. He felt Derek’s amusement at his own exhiliration, and tightened his grip on the harness as they hit the bridge and raced across. 

The kitsunes were already on the other side and their eerie foxlight began to light up the pitch black night. Kira was now a full nine tailed kitsune like her mother, and they could generate their own lightning to drive the vampires into hiding. It split the air in showers of orange, looking more like fireworks than electrical discharge, but Stiles could feel it all the way through to his toes. He focused his own power as they came off the bridge on the other side, feeling it merge with Erin’s own as they sealed off the bridge with a powerful boundary ward that would keep the vampires in. They could not cross running water so going into the river was not an option and if Derek and Ben were quick enough, they could close in the swarm like fish in a seine net. 

Erin and Ben broke right, a trail of brilliant white sparks kicking up behind them as the wards were set up and Derek lurched left, his paws thudding along the ground as Stiles did the same, feeling the power flowing out from his back stretched hand. The truck rumbled along behind them, following the street as it ran along the river and headed north. Kira and Noshiko would already be headed for the bridge by the airport where they would set up their own boundary and take out any vamps that made it that far. 

Derek’s breath was coming in heavy pants and Stiles ran one hand along his thick fur. He loved this, the almost perfect connection between them and the way their every thought seemed to meld together. Derek’s mind was quieter like this and Stiles could feel how calm he was and the amount of trust he put in Stiles. He focused all his magic on what he was doing and as they got to the four way junction up ahead,. The truck behind them turned right and began to drive towards the centre of the area they would be trapping the vamps in. 

**********

‘We’re leaving them?’ Scott asked. He looked at Noah and saw that he was grinning. The exposed hint of fang made him look alarmingly feral in a way Scott wasn’t used to seeing. 

‘Everyone will get off at intervals from here on in.’ he replied. ‘Stiles and Derek need to track the boundary ward in a complete line so nothing can get out. Then they’ll come back in and we can start the extermination.’

‘It sounds so clinical.’ Scott felt an odd touch of misgiving. Everyone was being so pragmatic about was what amounted to a mass killing. Noah seemed to pick up on what he was feeling and when he spoke again, his voice was stern.

‘Son, have you ever seen what a swarm can do?’ he asked and Scott had to admit that he hadn’t. ‘Well, let me tell you that comparing them to locusts is not anything even close. destruction they leave is horrifying. They will kill anything in their path that they can feed from and if you turn, you lose any semblance of humanity or conscious thought that you ever had. They can take out entire towns in a night. All they leave behind is blood and guts and what used to be pieces of people.’

‘I guess I just don’t agree with all the killing.’ Scott said and then nearly jumped out of his skin when Noah snarled at him, so wolflike it was as if he’d been born a werewolf and not turned. 

‘You think I do?’ He gave Scott and angry look. ‘Kid, you don’t know the half of the bullshit we see up here. I get that you had your self-righteous little shitfit back in Beacon Hills but there really is no place for moral superiority here. This isn’t a fucking game. It’s life or death and you better get used to that.’

‘I…’ Scott trailed off, not quite sure what to say. ‘I didn’t mean…’

‘No, you never do.’ Now the bitterness in Noah’s voice and his scent was thick and it made Scott feel like he should be curling up and whining, something he hadn’t felt in a long time. ‘You know, I stood up for you when all the bull went down at first. I took your side on more than one occasion, and I dismissed the idea that you let that True Alpha horseshit that Deaton filled your head with influence how you were with Stiles. But then you took against him. You took the side of a psychopathic asshole who tried to kill me and almost managed to get one of his lackeys to kill my son. You didn’t stand up for him or protect him or even hear him out and when he came to me that night to tell me what he’d done, he was broken Scott. I’ve never seen him like that and I blame it all on you. I know your MO was always to point the finger at Derek and tell everyone that he was to blame, but that night I realised that maybe I’d been blind to what was actually happening.’ 

Scott was astounded. He had never heard Noah use that tone with him before, had never felt like he was on the receiving end of a haranguing from someone he’d always secretly wished was his dad. It hit him right in the gut and he felt a deep shame creep over him. It was only later that he’d thought about his actions, particularly when Melissa had sat him down and given him her angry face. Then when Theo had turned out to be the one behind all the bad things that were happening, Scott had realised how badly he’d fucked up but by then it had been too late and Stiles and Noah were gone and he’d turned that shame into anger at being left behind. 

‘I don’t know what to say.’ he eventually stammered. ‘It wasn’t what I wanted.’

Noah heaved a huge sigh and then reached over and awkwardly patted Scott’s knee. 

‘I know, kid.’ he replied. ‘It wasn’t easy for any of us back then. Christ knows I had enough sins to atone for myself with regards to what Stiles went through alone. I guess what I’m trying to say is that maybe less judgement and more support would have been good. From both of us.’

‘I know.’ Scott muttered. ‘It’s just that Derek…’ He shut his mouth, still not sure what he was trying to say. There had been too much ill-will and water under that particular bridge and Scott wasn’t so completely lacking in self-awareness that he couldn’t look back and realise that he was guilty of the same transgressions that he’d accused Derek of being back then.

‘Derek is a good man, Scott.’ Noah said, his voice softening. ‘He’s made Stiles incredibly happy and for that alone, I owe him more than I can count. But he also saved my life, and he looks after this pack with dedication and more love than anyone ever showed him back in Beacon Hills. You’re going to be fresh out of luck trying to find someone to go against him here. You’re the one who will have to prove himself.’

‘Well, I’m going to try.’ Scott sat up straight. ‘I also care about my pack and my mom. And I hope that I can prove that to all of you.’

 

‘If you can, then you might just have found a place after all.’ Noah replied.

************

The wards would meet at the bridge, where the curtain of foxfire had fused closed. Stiles could feel Erin approaching, her magic as unique to her as her fingerprint. Beneath him, Derek let out a happy chuff. His tongue was flopping out the side of his mouth with exertion and Stiles grinned. His wolf was happiest when running and just letting his animal side take over, but soon he would need to fight. The slower progression through the dark streets would let him get his breath back. Both he and Ben would fight in their alpha forms, superior strength and reach being just what was needed to deal with vampires. 

The outline of the bridge against the foxfire came into sight and Stiles felt the ward snap closed as they raced up and onto the lower end that led into the city. The kitsunes were there waiting, as was Erin and Ben. The alpha was on his hind legs looking into the dark in front of them. Before this had all been a sea of lights but now it was nothing but empty houses and shadows where the dead things were lurking. 

Derek slowed to a trot, waiting for Stiles to slide from his back before he too got up on his hind legs. He moved to stand next to Ben and Stiles stifled a snicker at how they looked, the image of two massive werewolves standing with their ears pricked into the dark like a pair of watchdogs. 

‘Stop it.’ Erin’s voice was low and Stiles could feel the amusement vibrating through her magic. He went to her, his own magic interweaving through hers as the wards tied together so that they became impenetrable. They had always had a good rapport, deepened by him becoming an official emissary and submitting himself to the Sherman Nemeton all those years ago. Before he;d had hopes of coming back to Beacon Hills, of bringing back the Hale Nemeton to life as a healthy sapling once more but that had been dashed by the first reports of the clashes between the witches and the hunters. There was no Nemeton in Oregon so they relied on their packs for their power now. Thankfully both Ben was in his prime and Derek was starting to hit his and it was able to fuel things like this. 

Below them, the town was now shrouded in foxfire interlaced with the silvery threads of their wards. Kira and Noshiko had their helmets off and their katanas drawn, their eyes burning orange. Little crackles of electricity were surging along the blades of their weapons and Noshiko looked at Erin and nodded once, before her and Kira floated up and disappeared into the dark. Stiles watched with unconcealed envy. He would have dearly loved to ride the air like the kitsunes could (and Kira had crowed like crazy the first time she’d managed) but Sparks were not elementals in the same way, although Erin did have a trick up her sleeve that she was still trying to teach him after six years together. It wasn’t his favourite thing either, the sensation of sinking into the shadows too much like it had felt when the Nogitsune had been in control. 

‘You ready to go down?’ Erin asked and he nodded. 

Just need to give the signal.’ he said, looking at Derek, who threw back his head and howled. It was the full throated cry of a full shifted wolf, echoing through the night and carrying all the way down to where the rest of the pack would be waiting for the signal that the wards were closed and the hunt could begin. Ben joined in, his own howl deeper than Derek’s and just as powerful. They sang in harmony for a few moments, until Stiles could hear the answering howls from below. It was eerily beautiful and he shivered a little, remembering the first time he’d heard it. 

The howls finally died away and the wolves fell back to their feet. Stiles moved to derek’s side, getting back on and sliding his bat from the holder strapped across his back. It was time to hunt.

************

Scott had never heard anything like what was happening around him.

They had stopped the trucks in what had obviously been some sort of green space, now overgrown and smelling like a forest with odd depressions in the ground. Everyone was assembled by the vehicles and had been checking their weapons when the howls of the two alphas had come drifting down on the wind to them, making every hair on the back of Scott’s neck stand up. He’d watched every wolf there stand to attention, their eyes flaring in the dark before they had as one tilted their heads back and answered. Next to him, Noah was calling along with the others and it was such an odd sight that Scott had to pinch himself for a minute. 

The howling finally stopped and Mal and Luke moved into action, designating roles and giving instructions with an ease that spoke of long experience. Liam was at the twin’s side while Parrish was clearly right back at home in this kind of situation. He wasn’t carrying any weapons but Scott remembered about firearms and fire not being a good mix. Instead he was dressed relatively lightly and when Mal murmured to him, he lit up with his skin blackening and cracking to show the red hellfire beneath.   
‘All right. Listen up. We’re going in two by two, house to house along the Boulevard and then doubling back. You’ve got your buddies, so stick with them.’ Luke said from in front of them His eyes burned like the edges of a gas flame and Scott noticed that the Hale wolves were all blue-eyed, the only exceptions being Isaac and Noah. Ethan and Jackson were paired off as were Peter and Chris, who was now in night vision goggles. He watched as Isaac came over to him, his smile verging on shy as Luke moved to pair off with Noah.

‘You take care now, kid.’ Noah said to Isaac, affection clear in his voice. ‘And keep the True Alpha out of shit.’ He smiled at them both and then fell in with Luke, the two of them melting into the darkness without a single sound. 

‘No problem.’ Isaac replied. He gave Scott a gentle nudge. ‘You ready?’

‘I think so.’ Scott tightened his grip on his borrowed rifle and followed him through the trees. Isaac moved with a stealthy grace. He glanced over and saw that Peter and Chris were moving parallel to them, Peter a step ahead and Chris close behind. An odd chittering noise caught his attention and Scott looked up, catching sight of a sinuous shape moving through the branches. There was a glimpse of blue eyes and then a reptilian hiss and Jackson was gone, too quick to track. Ethan was nowhere to be seen but Scott knew he wouldn’t be far. 

The Sherman pack had gone to the other side of the street and Scott could feel Liam’s excitement. He would be well looked after by Ewan and Ellie. Stiles had assured him that they were superlative fighters and that they would protect his beta as if he were there own pack. Scott had felt it odd that they were separated but Derek had told him they all needed to be integrated into both packs so they would be able to move freely between them. 

The steady glow from Parrish’s infernal form moved down the street ahead and Scott followed Isaac past the first house on their right. Mal had given him a rundown on vamp nesting habits, that they preferred basements and attics where the lack of windows would keep them safe during the day. Luke and Noah were already circling the perimeter of the building, looking for signs of recent destruction that would indicate that the vamps had broken in. 

‘C’mon, Scott’ Isaac spoke just above a whisper and Scott led him take the lead to the next house. They were normal suburban clapboards, mostly one and two storeys and he thought briefly about the families that must have once lived here and who were probably now nothing but memories. They went around the side, checking for broken windows or unlocked doors. It turned out that the more supernatural elements of vampirism were nothing but myth and they needed to use force to enter a building just like anyone else. There was nothing to show that this particular house had been entered and so they moved on to the next. 

***********

Stiles saw the glow as they ran towards it and knew it was Parrish. Sandy Boulevard was the bottom eastern line of the ward so it made sense they started there and then could work along. The search area was big, but the wolves were used to hunting like this and moved swiftly. He wondered how Scott was doing and kept an eye out as Derek slowed to a trot and passed Parrish. The hellhound gave them a thumbs up, teeth bared in wolflike fashion. Up ahead, Erin was hopping off Ben’s back and moving to report to Mal. Ana was there with him, her eyes a brilliant green. Unlike Kate though, her skin didn’t have the strange blue shade and Stiles knew that this was because she was a born nagual and not a corruption of the form like Kate had been. Instead she had the shadowy rosettes of her chosen jaguar form against skin that was lightly furred, an extraordinary transformation that Stiles found to be quite beautiful. Her night vision was also far superior to that of the wolves and so she took point for the Sherman pack, coming over to Stiles as he slid from Derek’s back. 

‘Your dad and Luke are back there.’ She gestured to the houses on their right. 

‘Anything yet?’ he asked and Ana shook her head. 

‘Nothing.’ she replied. ‘But we’ve just started.’ 

‘That’s odd.’ Stiles frowned and hefted his bat. ‘We’ve usually scared up at least one trying to get back out through the wards by now.’ A cold nose nudged the back of his neck and Ana grinned. 

‘I think someone wants your attention.’ she pointed out and Stiles huffed and patted the snout now resting on his shoulder. 

‘Okay, big guy. I’m coming.’ He let Derek tug his sleeve and lead him in the direction of his pack. He could feel them all, the pack bonds like strings connecting him to them that vibrated with their unique signatures. Peter and Chris were out front, moving through a double storey house on their immediate right while jackson was scaling the roof of the one behind as Ethan checked the ground level. His father, the second brightest bond after Derek’s, was on the porch of the a shingled porch with Luke, both of them peering in through the windows. He turned and Stiles got a soft growl that he acknowledged with a gentle push down the bond. 

Next to him, Derek padded on silent feet, his eyes lighting up red as they spotted Scott and Isaac coming from the house behind. His enquiring whine had Isaac jogging over, one hand going to ruffle the fur between his alpha’s ears, which flatten in the most adorable way. Isaac was the first one to come home after Stiles and Derek were joined by the Nemeton, his eyes still a little haunted but looking so much better than he’d been when Allison had died and Stiles knew that he held a soft spot in Derek’s gruff craggy heart. He allowed Isaac liberties that would get anyone else’s hand bitten off and Stiles resisted the urge to cackle when he saw the shock on Scott’s face as Isaac petted his alpha. 

‘All clear.’ he murmured. ‘Nothing on this side. It’s weird.’

‘I know.’ Stiles frowned. ‘I don’t like it.’

‘They might be nesting. We’re going to hit the commercial district soon and there’s lots of big buildings they could be using for that.’ Isaac replied and Derek growled, the noise rumbling from deep in his chest. Stiles knew that he hated the idea as well. If the vamps were nesting in one place, that would make it really difficult to flush them out without a serious fight. 

A shrill whistle went up from in front of them as Chris and Peter came out from their house. That meant something that needed attending to, which meant Stiles was up. He jogged over, Derek right next to him until he got to where they were standing and looking at the house. 

‘It smells wrong.’ Peter’s eyes were beacons of electric blue and his fangs were dropped. 

‘Top or bottom?’ Stiles swung his bat to loosen up his shoulders. Next to him Derek made a sniggering sound and Stiles grinned and shoved one hand into his thick ruff.

‘Bottom.’ Peter was also smirking and Chris shook his head in exasperated fondness. ‘You want us on standby.’

‘Let me see what it is first.’ He started walking towards the house, using his magic to reach out and feel for what might be inside. Vamps were dead and couldn’t be tracked by their heartbeat or breathing and they didn’t show up on any heat seeking equipment, but they did leave a snail trail of rancid scent and a very nasty magical trace that left a taste like rotten food in Stiles’ mouth. 

He closed his eyes, one hand held up to channel the spell he used, and he felt the power flow out of him and through the air. It snuck in under the front door and through the cracks in the windows and in his mind he sa a dusty hallway with the door to the basement standing wide open. There were footprints and drag marks leading to it and he knew that if he went down into the dark, he’d find what they were looking for. 

He hesitated at the threshold and then moved into the darkness. Here it was absolute, so black that if Stiles had been there in person he would have been unable to see his hand in front of his face. Even the wolves would have trouble down here with no reflected light at all to help them see. He surveyed the space, noting the usual shapes of washer and dryer, some shelving and several bicycles stacked against the wall. In the far corner though there was a seething mass that flowed and ebbed like an oil slick. 

He opened his eyes, now burning violet, and nodded. 

‘At least five.’ he said. ‘Maybe more. It’s hard to tell. They’re massing and it’s fucking with my magic.’

‘Shit.’ Chris did not look happy. ‘That means they’re going to be hell to kill.’

‘Where’s the rest of them though?’ Peter’s eyes narrowed. ‘Five is not a swarm.’

Derek whined agreement and Stiles swung his bat in a lazy arc. 

‘We’ll find them soon enough.’ he replied. ‘Not let me get this sorted.’

They stood back and watched him go to the front porch, a wave of his hand throwing the door open easily. He would go into the basement and burn them out, his Spark protecting him from their attacks. Once they were on fire, they would run for the night and then the wolves would catch them and rip them to pieces. There was a deep rumbling growl from Derek, reassurance and strength flowing through the bond to him in waves. 

The house had that same musty smell as every other abandoned building, no lingering traces at all of the people that had once lived here. Stiles moved into the hallway, ignoring the framed pictures on the wall that were thick with dust. He didn’t want to know the life this house had lead, even though warmth and love had seeped into its very walls. It would only make things harder. 

He moved almost soundlessly, lessons learned from running with a pack. If he had Erin’s ability to use the shadows, he would have sunk into the puddles of dark on the floor or in the corners and come up behind the vamps in the basement, taking them completely by surprise. But he didn’t and so he got to the open doorway and took his first step, hearing the wood creak as he descended. 

He lifted a hand, purple fire tracking along his arm. It lit up his way, the series of steps until his feet hit concrete and he saw the vamps in all their terrifying glory. They barely resembled the people they had once been, their pallid skin and colourless eyes reflecting the light he made. There were five as he’d thought, three woman and two men. Their ages when alive couldn’t be determined, unless you took their fashion choices into account. The clothing they wore was filthy and torn, encrusted with blood and gore from countless kills, and the stench made Stiles gag as he came to stand in front of them, feet planted into the ground. They feared his fire and hissed at him like a nest of snakes, maws gaping to reveal rows of razor sharp teeth like a shark. They didn’t bite neatly like silver screen vamps did, instead they ripped and tore throats open to drink great gouts of blood until they were covered in it. He’d seen what happened to people caught by a swarm and it had given him nightmares for weeks. 

‘Stiles?’ Peter called from the doorway above, an almost dazzling brightness against the perfect black down in the basement. His eyes glowed and the vamps had an angry choked noise. They hated wolves, just as much as wolves hated them. 

‘On it.’ he replied and released the building surge of power, a wall of flame erupting from his open hand and surging like water over and around the vamps. They screeched as it touched them, thrashing and writhing in agony but stubbornly refusing to move from their knot. They had enough awareness to know they were stronger in numbers and that a vamp separated from its swarm would soon die. 

Stiles swore and let himself go a bit more. They were being far more reluctant that he liked and eventually his had to simply immolate the whole space. He heard Peter yelp as the fire swept through the basement and raced up the stairs, the thump of his hasty retreat as he ran for the door. Wolves could burn too and Peter had certainly had enough experience of that to be wary. 

It was enough though and as the house exploded around Stiles, the vamps gave in and made a break for it. The streamed past him, taking the stairs in bounds on all fours and then heard the growls and snarls as they encountered a very angry alpha wolf waiting for them just outside. He recognised Peter’s snarl as well and knew that uncle and nephew were working in tandem as well as a few scattered shots as Chris got in on the act. 

Stiles huffed and went to what was left of the stairs, ascending gingerly because the whole place was now a raging inferno. He’d have preferred to not light a massive beacon in downtown Portland but needs must. When he came out the house, he saw black smears across the street in front where they had killed the vamps, what was left drying out quickly into thick black dust. Derek was looking particularly pleased with himself, claws shiny with the ichor that vamps had in their veins. He padded over as Stiles came down off the burning porch, the purple flame that surrounded him flicking low and then dying as he ran a hand over his mate’s head and wrinkled his nose. 

‘Bath when we get back.’ he stated and Derek snuffled his hand and then knocked him over, pinned him down and licked his face clean of soot. 

************

At the back of the Hale pack, Scott stared in amazement. He had seen Stiles go in and the eerie violet glow from inside the front door before Noah had gently restrained him from approaching any closer. 

‘Trust me, you’re going to want to stay here.’ he said and Scott had frowned. His wolf ears could pick up noises from inside the house, hissing and screeching and then they whole place had gone up like a bonfire in July. Flames had taken hold of the entire structure so quickly that he’d yelled out loud and tried to run for it but Noah had caught his arm and pulled him back. 

‘Watch.’ he growled and so Scott did, seeing shadowy forms alight with purple fire come racing out from the house and right into Derek and Peter’s waiting claws. That part had made him feel sick, the easy way they both ripped the vampire apart. Chris had helped too, peppering the vamps with carefully places shots until the hideous cries had died away. Stiles was still inside the burning building though and Scott had been about to make a break to go help him when Derek’s head had come up and Stiles had walked out what was left of the front door. 

He had been outlined in purple fire, bat against his shoulder and his eyes lit up like UV lights. He’d come down the stairs and patted Derek and then the alpha had him on the ground and Stiles was giggling as he was subjected to a thorough tongue bath. When Derek finally let him get back up, he looked as if he’d never even been inside. 

‘Holy shit. Now I get what Peter meant by firestarter.’ Scott breathed and Noah chuckled and patted him on the shoulder. 

‘That was just the opening act, kid.’ he replied and Scott as left gaping as he went over to his son.


	8. Little Blue Lights

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time to make a move.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> E Rating for blowjobs and handjobs :) Just in case you want to skip it, it's right at the end.

Seattle was great. Stiles had never been and he was enthralled, enjoying the change of scenery as they walked around Pike Place Market and ate enough snacks to make him feel slightly bloated. That was the penalty he paid for trying to keep up with the wolves, who all had huge appetites after three hours in the van. Derek had been doing the driving and the rest of the junior pack had given each other knowing glances and let Stiles have the passenger seat. After that it had felt like old times, with Derek’s eyes fixed on the road but his hand held loosely in Stiles’ lap because there was no way he was letting go when he didn’t need to. He’d always wanted this, even when he hadn’t realised just quiet what this was, and of Derek was open enough to hold hands with him, Stiles was going to grab on and not let go.

Okay, he may have had daydreams about doing this for the last few months Derek was in Beacon Hills, but he’d never acted on it. 

The resident packs in Seattle were all welcoming to visitors and the pack they were staying with were old friends of the Shermans. They had run of the rooms built over garage, which had bunk beds and a bathroom for them to use overnight, and Derek and Zach had gone to speak with the alpha, a woman called Bethany Johnson, and then come back to tell them they were all settled in. After that, it had been a blur of activity as they all got dressed and gone down to the Light Rail station to go into the city. Once there, the twins had dragged Stiles along between them, chattering all at once while he glanced back over his shoulder at a smiling Derek (and wasn’t that just a mind fuck) who was walking with Zach, his eyes never leaving Stiles. 

They had gone up the Needle and while Ewan and Ellie were exclaiming over the view and chasing Zach around the viewing platform, he’d taken the opportunity to have a few words with Derek, just to settle his own mind. But Derek had just caught Stiles by the hand and pulled him in to stand in front of him, boxing him in with his arms and nuzzling at the back of Stiles’ neck and every coherent thought had flown right out of his head, so much so that he had been speechless all the way back down. Even now, he could still feel the warm rush of Derek’s breath over his sensitive skin and feel the way his chest seized up with want. 

He stopped to look at a table full of brightly painted souvenirs and picked up a set of coasters, snickering to himself at the thought because Noah was forever putting down cups and glasses without one and driving him crazy. He felt Derek step up beside him and turned to show him the ones he’d selected.

‘Think these would be out of place in our decor?’ He went for levity. ‘Or are they too bourgeois?’ 

‘I like them.’ Derek said, mouth curving up. ‘And bourgeois is the new black these days.’

‘Funny.’ Stile bumped their shoulders together. ‘I like it here.’

‘Me too.’ Derek looked around them. ‘It’s nice. Smaller than New York.’

‘I always wondered about that.’ Stiles said, handing over money and accepting the coasters in a small hessian bag. ‘How you lived there.’

‘It was easy.’ Derek shrugged. ‘They have packs like here and we just got permission. It wasn’t any big mystery.’

‘You never talked about it.’ Stiles replied. ‘And I guess my imagination kind of went into overdrive with what you did there.’

‘You’d be disappointed with the reality.’ Derek said. ‘I went to school until I graduated, then Columbia. I was a couple of months past graduating and looking for a job when Laura went back to Beacon Hills.’

Stiles glanced at him, seeing the tell-tale tightening of his jaw that told him Derek was very uncomfortable. He moved in a little closer and gave him an apologetic look. 

‘Sorry I brought it up.’ he started but Derek cut him off. 

‘It’s okay.’ He took a deep breath. ‘I’ve been seeing someone.’

Stiles felt like he’d just had a bucket of cold water dumped on his head. Maybe he’d completely read everything wrong.

‘I didn’t know.’ he stammered and Derek frowned, obviously confused. Then he caught up and snorted. 

‘Not like that.’ He had one eyebrow arched in exasperation. ‘Thea has a friend who’s a clinical psychologist. She’s a rusalka, her grandparents came over during the Russian Revolutions and she specialises in people who are not exactly human.’

‘Oh.’ That had Stiles on the back foot. ‘But you never leave the island.’

‘Which is also why your first idea is stupid.’ Derek said. ‘We have Skype sessions. It had only been a couple of months when you turned up, and you threw me for a loop. I wasn’t expecting to see you ever again, not after the way I left.’

‘Yeah.’ Stiles swallowed hard. ‘That wasn’t cool. I mean, I get that you needed to but it felt like…’ He trailed off, biting his lip. 

‘LIke I abandoned you.’ Derek sighed. ‘I know. I knew it then too. I could smell it on you.’

‘And you still left.’ Stiles couldn’t help sounding bitter. ‘And things went to shit afterwards.’ 

‘Okay, I’m going to say something.’ Derek’s voice dipped low. ‘So no talking until I’m done, okay?’

‘What?’ Now Stiles was pissed and confused. 

‘The fact that Beacon Hills went to shit isn’t my fault.’ Derek was looking at the ground but his voice held firm. ‘Scott being bitten and turning his back on me and my offer to help wasn’t my fault. The Alpha pack killing Erica and Boyd wasn’t my fault.’ He finally looked up and the grief Stiles saw there punched right through him.

‘I never said…’ he blurted but Derek just held up a hand. 

‘Stiles, please.’ He took a deep breath. ‘It’s taken me a very long time to even come close to accepting that not everything that happened to me isn’t my fault. I’m sorry I left, but I was done. I had no more to give. Can’t you see that?’

‘I know.’ Stiles’ voice cracked. ‘But I needed you. You’re the only person that I could actually rely on. You’re the only person that’s ever believed in me. When I told you about Jennifer, you didn’t even blink. You just took my side right away.’ He was starting to get panicky, not what he’d expected but then he laso hadn’t expected to be having this conversation in the middle of a crowded public place. 

Derek stared at him and then Stiles felt the air being knocked out of his lungs as he took three steps forward and pulled Stiles into his arms. He all but collapsed and suddenly it felt like every bit of anger he had was simply evaporating. 

‘You asshole.’ he mumbled into Derek’s shoulder. ‘I’m sorry I’m so selfish.’

‘You’re the furthest thing there is from being selfish.’ Derek replied, tightening his hold on him. ‘I would be dead at least three times over if it wasn’t for you, and I’m not the only one.’

Stiles squeezed his eyes shut. 

‘He didn’t believe me.’ He felt horribly close to tears. ‘My best friend didn’t believe me.’

‘I know.’ Derek replied. ‘Noah told me what happened. I’d like to say I’m surprised, but I’m really not.’

‘That’s the worst part.’ Stiles muttered. ‘Neither am I.’

************

‘Awwwww.’ Ellie was quickly demolishing her ice cream cone with deft swipes of her tongue, snickering at Ewan and how his had dribbled down the side of his hand. ‘They’re sickeningly cute.’

‘Stop eavesdropping.’ Zac elbowed her in the ribs. ‘This is exactly what Mom and Dad were hoping would happen.’

‘You think he’s going to say anything to Stiles?’ Ewan finally had his cone under control. ‘About him being his M-A-T-E.’

‘God I hope so.’ Ellie said. ‘The UST is off the fucking scale and if I have to smell the fact that they’ve both jerked off on the same morning again, I’m going to eat them.’

‘Erin’s got something up her sleeve for tomorrow night.’ Zac said. ‘And she’s got the Nemeton backing her up. It’s got plans for those two.’

They all regarded Stiles and Derek in silence, knowing what was riding on the next night. Transitioning power was a tricky business and the Hale alpha magic was volatile at best, the family’s troubled history making it difficult to control. Derek’s selflessness in bringing Cora back from the brink of death and marked him as worthy, but it would be Stiles and their bonding that would fire it up and turn Derek’s eyes from blue to red once again. 

************

The rest of the afternoon spread out before them and by the time the sky started to darken, Stiles was feeling better than he had in months. He hadn’t realised just how much he’d needed to clear the air with Derek, and now they were sitting out on the docks watching the ferries and enjoying the last of the sunshine. Derek had his eyes closed, one arm resting along the back of the bench behind Stiles and he looked peaceful in a way Stiles had never seen. The planes of his face were contrasts in light and shadow and his forehead smoothed out and he was utterly beautiful like that, so much so that he was making it hard for Stiles to even breathe. 

At the rails, Ewan and Zac were mugging for the camera as Ellie sent Kelly snaps before turning her phone on herself and taking a variety of selfies in different poses. They were all smiling and happy and Stiles felt a stab of jealousy at their carefree life on the island, even if he was now part of it. More than anything though, he felt anger on Derek’s behalf that he hadn’t been able to grow up like them, safe and secure among their pack. He hadn’t truly appreciated just how much Derek lost the night Kate set fire to his house until he’d seen what a truly functional pack looked like. It also threw Scott’s sorry attempts into sharp relief and drew unfavourable comparisons with Deucalion. 

‘Stop thinking so loudly.’ Derek’s eyes were still closed but he was smirking. Stiles snorted and kicked at him.  
‘I’m weirdly okay with us being friends.’ he announced and Derek cracked one eye open. 

‘We were never not friends.’ he replied and Stiles raised an eyebrow at him. 

‘Even when I asked Scott if I could just let you die?’ he asked and Derek bared a fang at him in a grin that was far too wolfish for their surroundings. 

‘Why do you think I went to you?’ He settled back down, hands folded over his belly. ‘I knew that as much as you’d bitch about it, you would help me. You’ve always helped me and been the person I trust the most.’

‘That’s…’Stiles smiled. ‘Dude, thank you.’

‘Also Scott’s an asshole.’ Derek said evenly. ‘He’s never appreciated just how much you held all that bullshit together. Peter was right, he should have bitten you instead.’

‘You knew about that?’ Stiles asked and he nodded. 

‘He eventually told me, and then I kicked his ass.’ Derek’s smirk was back. ‘Now he knows better.’

‘Where is he?’ Stiles was curious. They hadn’t seen him since the thing with the Berserkers and Kate. 

‘Somewhere.’ Derek grinned. ‘He knows better than to come to the island too. Ben doesn’t tolerate his lack of subordination. He’s a fair alpha but he is still an alpha and Peter has never been very good at towing the line, even with my mom.’

‘So what happens when you become an alpha again?’ Stiles asked. ‘He’s going to be part of your pack, isn’t he?’ Erin had given him a breakdown but he wanted clarification. 

‘Him and Cora if she wants to.’ Derek shifted. ‘But they’ll have a choice. Isaac and Jackson as well, although I know that they’re both happy where they are now. I’ve checked in a few times.’

‘It’s a start.’ Stiles brought both feet up onto the bench, hugging his knees. ‘I guess we should probably talk about tomorrow at some point.’

‘You’re pack, Stiles.’ Derek smiled, the dimple in his right cheek clearly visible without his stubble. ‘You always have been. Noah too.’

‘I’m supposed to be your emissary.’ It was the first time Stiles admitting as much out loud. 

‘You became my emissary the first time you threw the line of mountain ash around the warehouse when we were hunting Jackson.’ Now Derek was looking at him, his eyes almost iridescent green in the dying sun. ‘Tomorrow is more a formality than anything else.’

‘I always thought I would be Scott’s.’ Stiles shrugged. ‘But he chose Deaton instead. He always chooses someone that’s not me. First, it was Allison, then Isaac and then there was that shit with Gerard and then it was Deaton.’

‘And now Theo and Liam.’ Derek sat up. ‘I made a mistake leaving with Braeden. I was hurt and angry after I found out about you and Malia and I acted out the only way I seem to know how - by falling into bed with someone.’ 

‘Why though?’ Stiles felt like his heart was going a hundred miles an hour. 

‘Isn’t it obvious?’Derek held his gaze. ‘I was jealous.’

Fuck a hundred miles an hour. Stiles was now convinced his heart had stopped. 

‘You never said anything.’ he whispered, not daring to believe this was real. ‘You never even made a move.’

‘You were sixteen when we met.’ Derek sighed. ‘It was hard not to see parallels. I wanted to wait, but then everything happened and again I made a not very good decision.’ He suddenly looked incredibly young and incredibly vulnerable and Stiles wanted to protect him from the whole damn world. 

‘I would have said yes to you.’ he confessed. ‘I think I kind of fell in love with you the very first time I saw you and you bawled us out for being on private property. I spent so much time trying to ignore it and convince myself that I didn’t, but it was only after you died that I realised how true it was.’

‘Except I didn’t die.’ Derek pointed out and Stiles glared at him. 

‘Not the fucking point.’ He stuck his finger in Derek’s face. ‘And you told me to go after Scott, when all I wanted to do was be with you. You let her stay instead. I’m still monumentally pissed at you for that.’ 

Derek chuckled and then grabbed Stiles hand faster than the eye could track, pulling it forward and kissing the tip of the offending finger. That shut Stiles up faster than anything ever had. He went bright red, his face hot as he gaped at Derek and the very smug grin spreading across his face. 

‘I know.’ he replied. ‘And I’m sorry. But if it makes any difference, I realised pretty quickly that instead of running away with her, I should have thrown you over my shoulder and taken you with me instead.’

‘I honestly don’t know what to say to that.’ Stiles stammered. ‘Dude.’ 

Derek looked at him, then leaned over and kissed Stiles so lightly and so quickly it was almost as if he’d dreamed it. 

‘Don’t call me dude.’ he said and went back to basking, leaving Stiles to touch his fingers to his mouth and wonder at what had just happened.

*************

‘Mates?’ Noah’s eyes were wide. ‘Um...come again?’

‘So it’s not as serious as it may sound.’ Ben started and Thea snorted and shove him in the direction of the kitchen. 

‘Go make coffee.’ she ordered and Noah was briefly amused at how Ben let her bully him into doing things. 

‘It’s kind of complicated.’ Erin was on the other couch, her feet tucked up under her and her bestiary held out to him. Noah took it and scanned thepages, still not taking everything in. It’s not like a predetermined soulmate thing, just compatibility. And not every emissary becomes an alpha mate. I am Ben’s second emissary and before that was his sister, so it’s not like Stiles will be under any obligation to accept or he could even put it on the back burner if he wants to. But, Derek does have a strong connection to him and I think we all know how they feel about each other. You can see the angst and pining from space at this point.’

‘That’s very true.’ Noah sighed and looked back at the book. ‘I guess I just didn’t expect it to be as formalised as it seems it will be.’

‘That’s why we wanted to talk to you.’ Thea said. ‘There are going to be a lot of things happening and you need to be just as informed as Stiles is.’

‘Alright.’ Noah nodded and accepted a mug of coffee from Ben. ‘Lay it on me.’

‘Tomorrow is not just a full moon.’ Thea started. ‘It’s the first full moon that you and Stiles will be celebrating with us as part of the new Hale pack.’ Everything that Erin’s been working on with Stiles has been to lead up to this moment. He will be formally introduced to our Nemeton with Derek, seeing as the one he would have used is no longer even remotely functional. Alan made sure of that by cutting it down.’  
‘And don’t I have several things to say about that.’ Ben growled, his eyes glowing red at the edges. 

‘Another conversation for another time.’ Erin said and leaned over the arm of the couch. ‘Tomorrow night he will have the choice of becoming the Hale pack emissary. But he will also have a chance to declare himself the alpha mate if he chooses. Derek has already made it clear that’s where his heart lies, even before you both arrived, and the Nemeton has recognised this.’

‘You make it sound sentient.’ Noah said and they all nodded agreement. 

‘It is.’ Ben sipped his coffee. ‘It is as much a part of the pack as we are, more os even because it endures long after we are gone. It’s been my family’s Nemeton since we were freed from slavery and made our way north and it will continue when my grandchildren have grandchildren.’ 

‘It approves of the match.’ Thea added. ‘It likes Stiles and thinks he will make Derek’s pack a true force to be reckoned with. The fact that he’s a Spark is very special. There are only a handful of packs around the world that have Sparks as their emissaries and we hold a great deal of power because of that.’

‘So what will happen?’ Noah asked. 

‘We start with dinner.’ Thea explained. ‘Each family makes something but we all share the meat as you know.’

Noah did know that, as well as the fact that they had already prepared. He’d seen the three deer marinading in the packhouse kitchen. They were destined to be cooked barbeque style over a firepit, lashed to metal frames. He and Stiles had also decided on making placki ziemniaczane, a favourite of theirs that they both knew how to make. It was actually Claudia’s recipe, handed down through generations of Gojas women, and something to connect them to her. 

‘After dinner we will have traditional stories and then the run.’ Ben said. ‘You’re the only human so you won’t be taking part in that. Instead we’ll be leaving you with the task of manning the fires.’ 

‘I will be taking Stiles and Kelly to the Nemeton’s grove.’ Erin added. ‘And we’ll complete the ritual of introducing Stiles. When we are done, she and I will come back and we’ll wait out the wolves and then come back in time for breakfast and a long sleep.’

‘What about Stiles?’ Noah asked and saw how they exchanged looks. 

‘He’ll be waiting for Derek in the grove.’ Erin replied. ‘They’ll agree to the bond and, for lack of a better word, consummate it.’

‘Like actual consummation?’ Noah felt a twinge at the thought. He wasn’t so unaware as to still think Stiles was a virgin. He and Malia had been all over each other enough to dispel that particular thought, but he’d been less aware of any experience Stiles may have had with the same gender. He had a moment of guilt as he recalled the way he’d dismissed Stiles’ suggestion that he might like men out of hand, based on a fashion choice of all things, but he had no feelings of opposition. 

‘Only if Stiles decides he wants to be Derek’s mate.’ Erin assured him. ‘And believe me, he will be the one with all the power in that decision. Derek will not be able to coerce him, it has to be a gift freely given. If not, they will simply complete the ritual all new emissaries undergo to swear allegiance to their pack. It is binding though, and once it’s done cannot be undone. Stiles, and you by association because Derek looks on you as such, will be part of that pack officially.’

’How does that change things here?’ Noah asked. 

‘In no way at all.’ Ben smiled, his face transformed as it always was from forbidding to genial. ‘We have worked with other alphas before and you are welcome to stay as long as you want. Derek will still have a great deal to learn as an alpha. His former transition was done under dire circumstances and he had no idea what he was doing or how to deal with the transition of power. He was only ever going to be a beta in the Hale pack and so he’ll still be under my guidance until I think he’s fit to leave, if that’s what he wants to do.’

‘I don’t think that will happen anytime soon.’ Noah grinned. ‘I can see how happy he is here, and also how happy Stiles is here. You’d have to crowbar them out.’

‘It’s going to be a bit rocky the first month or so.’ Thea chuckled. ‘Derek’s instincts are going to kick in and he’ll want a pack. Thankfully, we know that he’ll choose Luke as his second and that Luke will accept. That will assuage him long enough for his other pack to return.’

Noah frowned. 

‘All of them?’ he asked and Ben glowered. 

‘Even him.’ He gave Erin a look. ‘Which I still have serious reservations about.’

‘It will be different this time.’ Erin’s smile was wicked. ‘He’s going to have Stiles to deal with.’

************

The potential emissary in question was having a crisis. He’d changed three times already, wanting to look his best if he was going to be seducing Derek. 

‘Just choose something already.’ Ellie muttered, glaring at him as he tried to edge her away from the mirror. ‘You look fine.’

‘Fine or fine.’ Stiles grumbled. ‘Because there’s a very clear distinction there.’ He huffed and wished fervently for Lydia and her incredible sense of style. 

‘You know you could walk out there in a sack and Derek would still think you’re the hottests thing in the room, right?’ Ellie waved her mascara wand at him. ‘Make it tight and make is simple.’

Stiles waved his hands in annoyance and went back to digging through his things. He finally settled on a black t-shirt that had gotten shrunk in the wash and was a little short in the body. He’d brought it on a whim, but that was now paying off. He wriggled into it, and turned to show her and her eyes lit up. 

‘That’s the one.’ she cackled. ‘You look like sex on legs like that.’ She waved him over. ‘Now sit your ass over here so I can do your hair.’ 

Thirty minutes later and Stiles primped and ready to go. Ellie’s magic hands had given him the best case of sex hair he’d ever seen, and that was including post-coital with Malia. His jeans were stretched across his ass and the t-shirt showed off his shoulders to waist ratio and she’d even given him a little bit of guyliner to highlight what she called his best feature. 

‘Bambi eyes.’ she snickered. ‘You look like prey.’ She slapped his hand away when he reached for his deoderant. ‘No. You want to smell just like you.’

‘But I’ll get sweaty and gross if we’re dancing.’ Stiles protested but she just growled at him. 

‘Trust me, nothing will get Derek harder than smelling you like that.’ she told him. ‘He  
‘He’s going to fall over himself to scent you.’

‘You really have no privacy at all, do you?’ Stiles regarded himself in the mirror. 

‘None.’ Ellie laughed. ‘Imagine what it was like going through puberty with a twin brother. Our room smelled like jizz for three years straight. The only consolation was that he had to put up with me and Mr Happy.’ 

Stiles really hated the fact that he knew that Mr Happy was her name for her Hitachi. 

‘Hey.’ The aforementioned brother stuck his head in the doorway. ‘You two done? We want to go eat before we hit the club.’

‘Where?’ Ellie asked, pulling on her jacket. It was fringed suede and made her look gorgeous because she wasn’t afraid to play up a stereotype if it meant getting her rocks off, as she put it. 

‘We’re going to hit Quinn’s.’ Ewan came into the room, giving Stiles a blatant up and down. ‘Is that his fuck-me outfit?’

‘Shut up!’ Stiles hissed. He knew they had all seen Derek kiss him, the smug grins had made that clear enough. Unfortunately that brief peck had been the action that was forthcoming, even all the way around the Arts Museum. Stiles had hoped for more in a dark corner, but Derek had been a perfect gentleman so he’d decided to up the ante. 

The twins exchanged smirks and then grabbed him and all but dragged him out the room. Zac was there with Derek and Stiles’ eyes nearly fell out of his head because Derek seemed to have had the same idea, although his t-shirt was an immaculate snowy white. 

‘Awww, you match.’ Ellie snickered and shoved Stiles at him so hard that Derek had to catch him before she and Ewan escaped from the room, belting down the exterior staircase and leaving Zac to facepalm at their antics. 

‘Come on.’ He made for the door leaving Stiles to blink up at Derek from where he was pretty much draped across him. 

‘You’re wearing eyeliner.’ Derek observed and he immediately felt like he wanted to hide. 

‘Ellie…’ he started but Derek interrupted him. 

‘It’s hot.’ He sounded like he had something caught in his throat and he coughed in a way that Stiles could only describe as nervous. ‘It makes your eyes glow.’

‘Oh.’ Stiles tried to stand up properly but his knees had completely given out. ‘You like it?’

‘Yeah.’ Derek set him back on his feet. ‘I do.’ He pulled on his jacket and then held out a hand. 

Stiles grinned like a maniac and took it. It felt right, his fingers sliding through Derek’s even if he could feel they both had sweaty hands. It was comforting that Derek seemed to be a nervous as he was. 

They went down the stairs to pile into the Uber Zan had called, taking the back bench. Stiles completely took advantage and snuggled up against Derek’s side and Derek dipped his head, his nose skirting along Stiles’ neck. 

‘I also like this.’ His voice was a low purr. ‘You smell really fucking good.’

‘Hey.’ Zac glared at them from the seat in front. ‘Keep it clean.’

It was far too late for that Stiles realised, his cock already half-hard just from Derek sniffing along his throat and nuzzling into the juncture of his neck and shoulder. 

‘Tell him that.’ he squeaked and Derek chuckled, dark and deep and promising all sorts of wicked things. 

***********

Erin walked Noah back to his cabin and he invited her in for a beer. They sat on the porch, watching moths fluttering around the strings of lights and she clinked her bottle against his. 

‘Here’s to the full moon.’ she said. ‘And hoping that it all goes without a hitch tomorrow.’

‘Is there a chance it won’t?’ Noah asked and she shrugged. 

‘Not really.’ she replied. ‘I know this Nemeton well and it’s very happy about what’s happening. Happy packs mean stability and stability means the magic is well cared for. It’s kind of like looking after a very large leafy pet in some cases.’ 

‘Maybe not the exact term I’m thinking of.’ Noah grinned. 

‘No.’ Erin smiled. ‘It’s a guardian and a guide all in one. The reason Beacon Hills is so fucked up is largely because of it. When Derek killed Paige, it set things in motion that were never supposed to be. His intentions, while pure, still took her life and that’s why his eyes are blue and the Nemeton draws darkness into its core. And then instead of dealing properly with the situation, Deaton just cut it down which had all the effect of trying to put a lid on a volcano. The magic just built and built until it went kablooey.’

‘Would that be a technical term?’ Noah asked and she laughed with him. They sat and drank in silence for a few moments before Noah spotted movement in the darkness. He nudged her and saw that she was watching the shadow intently. 

‘If you’re going to declare, do it.’ she said and Noah wondered what she was referring to, then jumped in surprise as a huge wolf stepped into the circle of light cast by his porch. He was silver tipped black, his eyes glowing the same electric blue as Derek’s and he held a huge bunch of mixed wildflowers in his jaws. He padded to the edge of the porch and laid them down, then sat on his haunches and waited, tongue lolling out in an expectant wolfy grin. 

‘Thank you.’ Erin was smiling and, to Noah’s astonishment, she was also lightly flushed in the cheeks. He watched her put her beer down and go to pick the flowers up, breathing them in. ‘I accept your gift and give you my permission.’

The wolf whined and she held out her hand for him to nudge with his snout before he turned tail and bounded back into the night. 

‘What was that about?’ Noah asked as she came to sit down, an almost dreamy smile on her face. 

‘That was a preliminary gesture.’ she said and buried her face in the flowers. ‘The only place these are still growing is on the far side by the hot springs. He went all the way to get them for me.’

That allowed Noah to put two and two together and he chuckled. 

‘Wouldn’t it be easier for him to just ask you out?’ he asked. 

‘Luke’s not really that kind of wolf.’ Erin said. ‘He’s very brave when it comes to facing down insurgents, but not so much when it comes to courting. He never mated and I have it on good authority that I’m the first person he’s ever come close to courting so I’m making allowances.’ Her hazel eyes were sparkling. ‘Besides, he’s fine as hell regardless of whether it’s the man or wolf I’m looking at.’ 

‘I don’t want to know.’ Noah laughed. ‘I’m still getting used to the whole full shift thing.’ Then something occurred to him and he looked at her in horror. ‘Wait, does it count as beastiality?’

‘I have no idea.’ Erin cackled and took another pull of her beer. 

************

Silencio was hidden behind a completely nondescript door down an alley and as they approached, Stiles could feel the surge of magic that indicated some excellent warding. It was unlikely that anyone human would ever suspect there was even something there. 

The doorman was a wolf, hulking and glowering at them until Derek walked to the front of their little group and flashed his eyes. The doorman flashed beta gold in response and opened the door for them, balking when Stiles tried to follow. 

‘No humans.’ he growled and Stiles huffed. He wasn’t quite as proficient as Erin and Kelly yet, but with a little focus he made his eyes light up violet, showing off his Spark and proving his supernatural credentials. It was also very satisfying to see the doorman take astep back and give Derek a stern warning that he was to be kept under control. Derek just gave him a fangy smile and guided Stiles through the door with a very possessive hand at the small of Stiles’ back. 

Inside it was pitch dark, the only illumination from UV lights running along the floor and he had to hold onto Derek’s arm as they filed inside. The corridor opened out into a huge room, bass thumping and the dancefloor crowded with people. It was amazing to think that there were even this many supernaturals in Seattle and most of them were species that Stiles had trouble identifying. 

They staked out a table at the back, laying their jackets over the backs of the chairs. Stiles knew without asking that other weres would be able to tell it was theirs and he sat down as Derek and Zac headed to the bar. Ewan was already making eyes at a table of gorgeous girls next to them, all of them alabaster pale with silvery hair and eyes that were colourless, dressed identically in skinny jeans, skyscraper heels and tiny crop tops and looked ready to party, shamelessly ogling Ewan in return. 

‘Nereids.’ Ellie explained, taking the seat next to him. ‘You find them in every port city, but the ones here are all scene girls.’ She snorted when Ewan abandoned them and went over to introduce himself, flashing his eyes and giving them his most wolfish smile. 

‘Shouldn’t we be worried?’ Stiles asked, studying them with unabashed curiosity. 

‘Not really.’ Ellie said. ‘They’ll drag him to wherever and take turns fucking him and leave him on a beach tomorrow morning. He’ll be fine.’ She started to scan the club, intent on finding her own partner. 

‘Hmmm.’ Stiles did the same, seeing wolves, other nymph like creatures and some more that defied description. It was like a bestiary come to life and he was so fascinated he didn’t even see Derek come back until a large pink cocktail landed in front of him, laden with dragonfruit and a little green umbrella. He made room so Derek could take the seat next to him, drinking a very sensible looking beer. Zac had the same and one for Ellie as well. It seemed they had expected Ewan to fuck off because he had no drink waiting. 

‘Anything of interest?’ Zac asked and Ellie shrugged, but her eyes were already following a pair of wolves around the floor. They were wearing lumberjack chic and had beards that could rival Ben’s. She downed her beer and got up, winking at Stiles before she headed off after them. 

Zac shook his head at her, laughing and leaning back to do his own observations, giving Stiles a chance to drag his chair a little closer and lean into Derek’s space as he slurped obnoxiously on his cocktail and mauled the straw, delighted at how Derek’s eyes zoned in on his mouth. 

‘You really shouldn’t be buying alcohol for someone under 21.’ he pointed out and Derek grinned at him, all teeth. 

‘It’s not strictly alcohol.’ he replied. ‘Nothing here is.’

‘Oh?’ Stiles took another slurp. Whatever it was, it was like heaven in a glass. ‘Do I want to know?’

‘Not really.’ Derek was making short work of his bottle label, extending his claws to pick at the edges. ‘Mine’s got wolfsbane, but I just asked them for something suitable for magic users for you and the siren behind the bar made me this.’

‘It’s yummy.’ Stiles realised that it was almost gone and pouted. ‘Can I have more?’

‘Not yet.’ Derek laughed. ‘Pace yourself.’

‘I don’t want to.’ Stiles gave him what he hoped was a seductive look from under his lashes. ‘I think tonight I want to go all the way.’

‘Don’t say things that will get you into trouble later.’ Derek replied evenly, although Stiles could see the tiny flicker of blue around his irises. ‘Finish your drink so we can go dance.’

‘Dance?’ Now Stiles was excited. ‘You dance?’

‘Maybe.’ Derek smirked at him. 

************

Back in her cabin, Erin listened to the sound of trees scraping the corrugated iron roof and went back to reading. Next to her, Kelly was fast asleep. She’d come over to study and passed out in Erin’s bed, overcome with fatigue from trying to remember too many algebraic formulae. Erin smiled and smoothed a hand over Kelly’s hair, feeling it bounce back. She’d had it in box braids last semester but had wanted to grow it out so she could look like Yaya DaCosta. 

Somewhere in the distance, but not so far she’d be unable to hear, came the sonorous rise and fall of a wolf’s howl. It wasn’t a pack cry, the beautiful sound that of a happy wolf and she smiled and rolled over to turn out the light and lay back, listening to Luke’s serenade. 

*************

Stiles was hot, sweaty, happy and every cell in his body felt like it was zinging. He was known for being a bit of a demon on the dance floor (Lydia and danny had both likened him to a dervish on more than one occasion) but it seemed that Derek was more than capable of keeping up with him. They were now five rounds of drinks down and he was feeling loose and more than a little horny. It was very hard (ha!) to not have a reaction when six foot of gorgeous werewolf was grinding on you like he was trying to channel Patrick Swayze (Yes, he knew who he was. Dirty Dancing had been his mom’s favourite movie). 

Derek was just as sweaty with matching dark patches at his armpits and in the centre of his back. Stiles could feel the damp cotton under his fingers as they danced, neither of them particularly caring about the picture they must have made. It turned out that the DJ was fae, and she was using her magic to cast patterns of light across the dance floor, the music a deep throbbing tempo that had his pulse shuddering in time. 

Ewan had disappeared with the nereids and Ellie was sandwiched between her wolves not too far from them. Even Zac had found someone, a leggy creature with lilac hair and blue black skin who smelled like another fae to Derek. That meant they were, for all intents, alone and it was getting to the point where the tension was so thick between them it could have been cut with a knife. 

One of Derek’s hands slid down Stiles’ back, pulling him tighter and dipping his fingers between the back and Stiles’ bare skin. It was unbelievably erotic feeling Derek’s fingertips skating over his sweat-slick skin and Stiles turned his face up the scant inch between them and watched how Derek’s eyes glowed. He wasn’t in full beta shift, just the eyes and the slight prickle of claws giving away his loss of control. It was exhilirating to see the effect he was having on Derek, every shift of their bodies making those eyes flare just a little brighter.

He leaned and Stiles waited, breathing coming short as Derek got close enough to kiss. He was expecting it but then Derek sidetracked, going back to that place just under Stiles’ ear. He nosed at it, still keeping their rhythm going with his other hand on Stiles’ ass while he breathed a rush of air over Stiles’ pulse point and then followed up with warm wetness. Stiles nearly yelped, half in surprise and the other in blind lust. If anyone had told him getting licked by a werewolf would be a pleasurable experience a year ago, he would have laughed at him. Now it was a trail just to stop it making him come in his pants. 

He threw his arms around Derek’s neck, feeling the play of muscles under his hands, and held on. He felt Derek breathe in deeply and then he dragged his tongue up the full length of Stiles’ neck, ending with Stiles’ earlobe being tugged between teeth that were still blunt enough to look human. Stiles had never considered his ears a particularly erogenous zone, but they were on red alert now and when Derek started sucking he made a noise that hid absolutely nothing about the fact that he was unbearably turned on. They hadn’t even kissed properly and he was already so desperate that he wanted nothing more than to get Derek to slam him into wall. 

‘Oh come on.’ he breathed when Derek bit down just hard enough to make his cock jump. He was also well aware from the state of the bulge in Derek’s jeans that he was not alone in feeling like this. He dropped one hand and gathered all his bravado to feel it, the thickness of Derek’s hard cock under his palm a truly glorious thing. 

Derek growled deep in his chest, the vibrations travelling through his mouth and Stiles’ ear and making him giggle. He got a little braver and squeezed and was suddenly shoved back, the momentum of Derek’s body carrying him into the darkness and away from the lights until he hit that well-wished for wall and was trapped between it and Derek. A hand wrapped around his throat and he could feel the claws. Not only that, but when Derek bared his teeth at him, his fangs had dropped completely. 

‘You.’ It was low and verging on vicious. ‘How the fuck am I supposed to control myself around you?’ 

‘So don’t.’ Stiles was panting hard now, frantic to grab at Derek’s jeans and slam their bodies back together. ‘Just fucking do me already.’

Derek smiled at him, all predatory beauty, and then Stiles found himself being kissed. He had some experience there at least, although nothing could have prepared him for this. Derek rode the fine line between feral and controlled perfectly, easing Stiles’ mouth open with ease and mapping it out with slow sweeps of his tongue. Stiles did his best to match his rhythm, the bitter taste of Derek’s wolfsbane beer on his tongue as he buried both hands in thick dark hair. Derek deepened the kiss, the hand at Stiles throat trailing down to touch him in turn and Stiles felt his whole body shudder. He wanted so badly and he tugged at Derek’s shirt. 

‘Please.’ he panted when he broke away. ‘I want you.’

‘This way.’ Derek moved back from him and grabbed his hand, hauling Stiles through the people and to the very far end of the club. He threw the door to the men’s room open and commandeered the stall at the end, slamming the door shut and locking it behind him. The lights in here were blue and it made Derek look truly otherworldly with his glowing eyes. His hands were at Stiles’ belt, undoing the buckle and nearly ripping Stiles’ jeans open. 

Stiles stood plastered to the side of the stall, his breath coming in short sharp moans as Derek got his jeans undone and then dropped gracefully to his knees. He stuck on hand down Stiles’ pants and looked up at him. 

‘Say it.’ he growled and Stiles nodded. 

‘I want it.’ He could barely breathe. ‘Please.’

Derek snarled and pulled him out, the air chilling the head of his cock where Stiles was already wet. He didn’t know what to expect really. Malia had been the only one to do this and she’d been very enthusiastic but unskilled and he’d had to keep reminding her not to bite his dick so Stiles’ had never really relaxed into it. Now though, he felt nothing but trust as Derek licked him, his tongue moving in broad strokes over the head that felt incredible. 

‘You taste better than you smell.’ he growled and then took Stiles all the way down, pinning his hips with his warm hands. Stiles had to throw out a hand to grab the top of the stall and cry out at the intensity. He had no hope of holding anything in and he swore and groaned and made filthy noises as Derek bobbed his head, using his tongue on the underside of Stiles’ cock until he wanted to cry it was so good. 

‘Fuck..fuck...fuck…’ It was all he could say, his body so close that all it took was Derek sucking hard on the way up and he was coming, nearly curling in on himself as it wracked him. He’d never had an orgasm so good before, not even by his own hand, and he had to close his eyes and fight to get his breath back before he was able to look at Derek again. 

Derek was still on his knees, eyes burning blue and his fangs bared in a brilliant smile. He got up, cupping Stiles’ face and kissing him fervently. 

‘You’re so fucking gorgeous.’ he growled and Stiles whined through his nose and pawed at Derek’s jeans. 

‘Give it to me.’ he pleaded. ‘I want to get you off.’ 

Derek laughed and let him, watching as Stiles got his cock out. He admired it for a few seconds, the heft of it very pleasing in his hand, before he started stroking. It was easy, the fact that Derek was uncut and leaking freely getting his hand wet enough to make it good, and he quickened his pace. Derek snarled and slammed both hands against the wall either side of his head, locking eyes with him as he got closer. It was barely a minute before he threw his head back, the roar he made as he came echoing around the bathroom and his cock coating Stiles’ hand with come in what felt like industrial quantities. 

‘Holy shit.’ he blurted, looking down. The fluid on his hand was brilliant in the blue light and he lifted it to his lips, tasting tentatively. Derek watched him, panting hard and looking like he wanted to swallow Stiles whole. 

‘You’re so dead tomorrow.’ He sounded every bit the animal he was. ‘I’m going to fuck you until the sun comes up. I want you to scream for me while I mount you and make you come all over my cock.’

‘Oh God.’ Stiles whimpered at the mental image. ‘So we’re really doing this?’

‘Please.’ Derek buried his face in Stiles’ neck, inhaling deeply. ‘I want to mate you so fucking badly. Please say you’ll be mine.’

And just like that, it felt like something was clicking into place and Stiles’ eyes widened as he realised what he was being asked. He pushed Derek back, mindless of the mess he was making, and stared at him. He knew the words for this, had read them in Erin’s bestiary. 

‘Are you declaring for me?’ he asked and Derek’s whole face softened. 

‘I wish to.’ He spoke the ritual reply. ‘By moon and pack and wolf, I want you to be my mate.’

‘Damn.’ Stiles couldn’t stop smiling. ‘This is a lot more romantic than it should be.’ He leaned in and kissed Derek once, rubbing their noses together when he was done. ‘I accept your courtship Derek and offer mine in return.’

Derek’s smile could have lit up the whole place by itself. He laughed, then looked a little shamefaced. 

‘Laura would have kicked my ass for doing this in the men’s room just after blowing you.’ he muttered and Stiles pulled him close. 

‘I don’t care.’ he murmured. ‘It’s kind of how we do things.’


	9. New Arrival

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A successful hunt and a new face.

The last thing Scott had imagined was that he would end the night literally fighting for his life. It hadn’t been anything that he’d expected, but he was quickly starting to realise that the shit he and his pack had seen was nothing compared to what they were dealing with here on the border between safe and not.

Stiles’ suspicions had been right and they had barely arrived in the more built up part of the deserted city when the swarm had shown itself. It had been terrifying, a never-ending wave of vampires that easily numbered in high double figures and which felt no pain or fear as they tried to rip the pack to pieces. If it hadn’t been for Noah and Luke, Scott was pretty sure he and Liam would have been toast.

They were now bunkered down on the roof of the old Hollywood Theatre, watching as Parrish lit up the street below and fighting off the vamps that made it past his flames. The hellhound was more than earning his keep, but the vamps were wise to him now and he was surrounded by a snarling circle that was doing its best to keep him penned in so he couldn’t do any more damage.

‘Fuck me.’ Liam’s eyes were like saucers. ‘I’ve never seen anything like this.’

‘And hopefully you won’t again.’ Noah growled. His eyes were gold, his fangs dropped and it was fucking with Scott’s head to see him like that. Next to him, Luke chuckled and let loose another volley into the crowd of vamps. He and Noah were taking out any that got too close to Parrish and being very chatty about it. Scott was having trouble understanding how they were being so calm, but then so was Isaac so he heaved a sigh and put his faith in them.

On the other side of the roof, Peter and Chris were keeping their side clear with Mal and Ana while the twins, Mitch and Sil were holding the rear. Ethan and Jackson were gone, somewhere on the far side of the road. The pack had had to split up and the more vulnerable members take shelter on the roof. Scott had bristled at the thought of being considered vulnerable, but he got it now. The vamps were numerous enough that they could tear a werewolf apart. Noah had told him that Jackson was invulnerable to vamp venom, and he’d seen how the vamps had avoided him in the early part of the fray, but they were all worried that he and Ethan had gotten separated from them.

Down the street, the faint sounds of fighting were almost lost in the swarm’s snarling. Ben and Derek were down there and Scott would have been lying if he’d said that part of him wasn’t jealous. Their alpha forms shrugged off attacks as if they were water, their razor sharp claws shredding flesh and crushing bone like it was no effort at all and they were backed up by purple flame that licked at skin and hair and burned the vampires into fine white ash while leaving most things around them untouched.

‘I’m out.’ Chris called across the roof and Noah huffed and reached for a spare clip, hurling it across. Peter snatched it out of the air and handed it to his mate, his eyes burning blue.

‘We need to get back down there.’ Luke growled. Like Noah he was partially shifted, sniffing the air as he sighted along his rifle. ‘Being up here is doing jack shit.’

‘Not yet.’ Noah cautioned. ‘You heard what the the two of them said. We wait it out until they’ve run these fuckers off or cleared a path.’

Luke’s growl deepened and he squeezed off a quick volley, the bullets shattering the heads of the three vamps that were attempting to make ladder out of themselves. It sent the rest of the would be attack screeching into the darkness to regroup and he gave Scott and Liam fanged grin.

‘How you up holding up there, kids?’ he asked and Scott wanted to protest at being called a kid but he was so out of his depth that he just gritted his teeth and nodded brusquely. Next to him, Liam was radiating fear and there was nothing Scott could do to stop it. They’d never faced down anything like this before and he had no idea what they would have done if they’d encountered a swarm along the road. Suddenly he was very grateful to be exactly where he was.

Noah seemed to sense something because he chuckled and gave Scott’s shoulder a gentle shake.

‘Sit tight, son.’ he said. ‘We’ve been through far worse before and come out the other side.’

Scott drew in a deep breath and glanced at Isaac. Isaac smiled back at him, his eyes warm gold and full of something that made Scott feel comforted.

‘You’ll be fine.’ he said softly, bumping Scott’s shoulder with his own. ‘I won’t let the scary monster get you.’

*************

Down on the streets it was carnage.

Stiles kept to the shadows, using the vampires’ tendency to attack in groups against them. It was easy to lure them down a blind alley and then let loose his magic and flame them right out of existence. The air was now thick with ash and fairly buzzing with magic and it made his hair stand on end.

Derek and Ben preferred a more direct approach and were weed-wacking their way through a break away cluster of vamps about thirty strong that were trying to escape along one of the streets that led off from the cinema. Ethan and Jackson were somewhere inside the building itself. They’d been swept along with the swarm, but Ethan was strong and quick and Jackson’s kanima status seemed to absolutely terrify the vamps so they had been tasked with clean up when they’d ended up running into him and Erin. Kira and Noshiko were mopping up around the perimeter and Julio was perched on a rooftop about a block down, holding a ward that kept the vampires pinned into a five block area. His powers of necromancy were useful in interfering with the hive mind like communication that the vamps used and they were confused and hurt and shrieking, making it easier to pick them off.

He stopped under an eave, catching his breath and listening to the sound of distant gunfire. The others would be safe on the roof until they were done down on the ground. He reached out through the bonds to his pack, tracking them one by one until they were all accounted for. He left Derek for last, sending reassurance and love down their bond and feeling the single minded determination flooding back in his direction. His alpha had long passed the days when he recklessly threw himself into the fray with no thought to his own safety. Now he was a cunning fighter, learning well from Ben and Luke. His superior strength meant that he was capable of holding off the vamps for far longer and his speed and senses gave him an edge that the other wolves simply didn’t have. Out together with Ben at his side and they were pretty much unbeatable.

He straightened up, ready to head back out, and then stifled his own yell when Erin melted out of the shadows right next to him.

‘Goddammit!’ Stiles hissed at her. ‘Warn a guy.’

‘That takes all the fun out of it.’ Erin snickered. Her hair was a mess, strands escaping from her short ponytail, and her clothes were mottled with dark stains. She smelled like a vamp that had been left to rot for a week. Stiles wrinkled his nose at her. Where he liked to immolate, Erin’s power was more explosive. Literally. She didn’t incinerate, she detonated, and it showed.

‘You’ve got red on you.’ he deadpanned and her glowing violet eyes sparkled with glee.

‘I found the queen.’ she told him and Stiles immediately perked up. Finding the queen would mean being able to knock out the hive-mind and then the vamps would be completely lost and without any guidance at all.

‘Where?’ He shouldered his bat and Erin jerked her head towards the street.

‘She’s hiding in the Lloyds centre.’ She peered out the alley way and moved on silent feet. ‘I felt the power draw heading off that way and that place is a goddamned maze at basement level. It’s a good place to hole up until daybreak.’

‘So what’s the plan?’ Stiles asked.

‘We go in first, find her and take her out.’ Erin replied. ‘The others clean up behind us.’  
‘Okay.’ Stiles frowned. ‘You know that the alphas are not going to go for that, right?’

‘I know.’ Erin’s smile was edged with the kind of mania typical of Sparks and which told Stiles they were about to throw themselves into a pile of shit. ‘Which is exactly why we’re not telling them where we’re going.’

‘Oh fuck.’ Stiles stopped dead and then had to jog to catch up to her. ‘Is this wise?’

‘No.’ Erin replied. ‘But she’s going to be heavily guarded and you and I both know we’re the only ones who’ll be able to get in without making a noise. The alphas are like wolves in a china shop and the kitsunes are incapable of not lighting everything up. Better for us to go in quietly while the swarm is still distracted here.’

‘Jesus.’ Stiles muttered. ‘We’re going to get in so much shit.’

‘Better to ask for forgiveness, Grasshopper.’ Erin chuckled. ‘Now, you ready?’

‘Fuck no.’ Stiles felt his stomach lurch. ‘Okay, just fucking do it.’

Erin laughed again, grabbed him by the arms. Stiles gritted his teeth and closed his eyes, hating what was coming as the magic went through him like a thousand volts and they sank into the street and completely out of sight.

*************

Derek was in the middle of decapitating a vampire when he felt it, It was distracting enough that he lost focus and the other two vamps he’d cornered managed to jump on him, their fangs scratching at his thick hide and their claws scrabbling for purchase. He dropped to all fours and shook violently, throwing them off before he pounced and ripped them to pieces. He backed off, snorting the stink out of his nose, and turned to find Ben standing just behind him, growling ferociously. His fur was stained with sticky black blood and he looked and smelled incandescent with anger.

_They’ve gone off somewhere._

Derek shook himself again and reached out but the bond between him and Stiles felt like it was tangled and leading nowhere. It was a classic Spark trick, hiding themselves from their alpha and he snarled.

 _What do you think?_ He looked at Ben expectantly, taking his cue from the older alpha.

 _I think they know something we don’t._ Ben replied and then roared and wheeled around, catching the vampire that was leaping at him by the throat. He squeezed slowly and Derek grinned when he heard the bones in the vamp’s neck snap.

_So we’re going after them right?_

_Nope._ Ben’s fangs glinted in a feral smile. _If Erin’s done this, we’d probably be running into a shitshow. I know her. She wouldn’t be taking a risk unless it had a big pay-off._

Derek chuffed in agreement. Stiles being in the thick of trouble wasn’t anything new. The only thing that had changed was that he had a mentor that was even worse than he was but they could both be trusted to look after themselves and also to try and keep the pack away when they thought it was in their best interest. However, it was also a fact that Derek had one thing in his favour and that was that people were forever underestimating him. They took in the pretty packaging and his reticent manner and thought he didn’t have it in him to be intelligent or observant. And while he might have once let naivety and guilt stop him from thinking to hard about things that didn’t make sense, he had long left those days behind him. Now he listened carefully and watched everything that went on around him in protecting his pack.

His main focus, of course, was always Stiles. His mate and emissary was sneaky in the extreme and prone to keeping secrets when he thought it would be something he wouldn’t want Derek getting involved in. Sneaking off to try and do something drastic was typical Stiles. It was also typical Erin, because Sparks were nothing alike but also completely predictable in a weird kind of way. It also meant they had found something big and that it was going to be something they needed to keep the pack out of.

 _So, we have a plan?_ He tilted his head and Ben nodded.

_We give them time to do whatever they’re going to do. And we do that by playing some tag. Get these fuckers running in the opposite direction._

Derek couldn’t help the way his tail instantly started wagging. Sometimes the wolf in him got too much and it came out in very canine behaviour just like it was now, and playing tag was one of his favourite things to do. His chase instinct was every bit as strong as an actual wolf’s and running the vamps up and away from Stiles would be fun.

They fought their way along back towards the main street and when they got there, Ben threw his head back and howled. There were answering howls from the roof of the cinema and the vampires attacking it all paused, torn between the alphas behind them and the wolves on the roof they were trying to reach. Derek could also see the glow from Parrish, and knew he was penned in. He nudged Ben with his muzzle and looked over to where the hellhound was and Ben got the message right away. He turned and barked once, then bounded down the street in the opposite direction of the the cinema and the game was on.

Derek ran towards Parrish, snapping at the vamps that tried to get in his way. He was agile though, sidestepping them easily. He’d never tell Stiles because he’d never live it down, but in his head he was on the basketball court with Parrish as the basket. He put his head down, growling happily and bowling through the vampires like he was about to score the game-winning points.

************

Stiles tumbled to the side of where they’d come up through the floor into the mall and puked up everything he had in his stomach. He hated the shadow-walking more than anything else he’d ever experienced and that included being possessed by the nogitsune. It felt like his entire body had been de-molecularised and then put back together in a matter of seconds and that explanation was probably not that far off the reality. He’d learned that science and magic were very complementary.

He spat the residue out onto the floor, making a face as he stood back up and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. Erin was at the rail of the atrium, the glass roof above her patchy with broken glass.

‘Listen.’ she whispered and Stiles came to stand next to her, tilting his head in unconscious mimicry of his mate. He could hear nothing with his human ears so he closed his eyes and drew on his magic, using it to extend the range of his hearing. It would never be as good as a wolf’s but it worked well enough to hear the distinctive sound of something prowling around on the lower levels.

‘We need to be super quiet.’ He looked into the darkness below. ‘You want to take point?’

‘Sure.’ Erin was grinning in anticipation. She twirled her staff in a showy gesture and Stiles stifled a chuckle and followed her.

They took the spiral stairs from the food court, moving slowly to avoid detection. There were three levels to the mall and they’d come in on the top one, far enough from the vamps that they wouldn’t know he and Erin were there until they were right on top of them. The mall was eerily quiet, the shops still filled with merchandise that had simply been abandoned in the days after the Awakening. There had been too much chaos and many people had simply gotten in their cars and headed north when the supernaturals had descended. This certainly wasn’t the first vampire swarm that the city had seen.

Once on the ground floor, they followed the sounds until they came to the play area at the back. It was disturbing seeing the padded seating and the kids toys that still marked it out and Stiles shivered as they passed.

‘This is so Alan Wake.’ he muttered and Erin snorted quietly.

‘I hated that game.’ she replied. ‘Zac played it and he made me sit with him through the scary bits.’

‘Yeah, Scott and I did that too.’ Stiles spotted what they were looking for and nudged her. ‘There.’

The door was clearly marked as Private and Stiles could see nothing but darkness behind it.

‘Ugh.’ He blew out a breath through his nose. ‘This is going to be _so_ much fun.’

‘You know they say sarcasm is the lowest form of wit.’ Erin poked him with her staff.

‘Yeah, yeah.’ Stiles grumbled. ‘They also say that vampires don’t exist.’

‘Not anymore.’ Erin sniggered and went through the door.

Stiles shuddered and followed. There was a flight of steps going down and he crowded up behind Erin shamelessly. He liked to joke that she was a creature of the night as much as the wolves were, but the truth was that she had had decades to come to terms with the things that went bump in the night, and while Stiles was brave to a fault he could also admit that having her there made him feel a whole lot better.

At the bottom was a long corridor, the floor concrete underneath their feet and the walls dirty in the light of the magic that Erin conjured into a ball of purple flame over her palm. The smell was a mixture of damp and the corruption of the mall’s newest occupants and Stiles was glad he wasn’t a wolf.

They inched their way along, his fire joining Erin’s to light the way. There were doors lining the corridor and a blind corner ahead and Stiles glanced back over his shoulder. He really didn’t like being hemmed in like this with no escape route. Erin could pop in and out as she pleased but he wouldn’t be ready for another trip through the space-time continuum, not for a while at least.

At the corner, Erin glanced at him with her eyebrows raised and he nodded. They both burst around the corner at the same time and then slumped with relief when they saw another empty corridor ahead of them. There was an empty hall to their left and another door set into the wall that stood open.

‘Boiler room.’ Erin hissed. ‘Ten bucks says that’s where the fuckers are.’

‘Jesus Christ.’ Stiles huffed. ‘Can we please fight something that likes sunny bright days outside for once?’

‘Nope.’ Erin had her game face on, staff held lightly in both hands as they went to the door.

‘If you die can I get the bestiary?’ Stiles asked and she smiled.

‘You’ll have to arm-wrestle Kelly for it.’ she replied and Stiles rolled his eyes. Kelly was built like a willow tree but her arm strength was insane. There was no way he’d win.

***********

Derek managed to break a line through to Parrish and the hellhound gave him a grateful smile, fangs on display as he extinguished himself and grabbed hold of Derek’s harness and pulled himself aboard. He was heavier than Stiles but not enough to slow Derek down and he went crashing back through the vamps towards the cinema. Bullets zipped past him to take out the vampires running alongside him and when he got close enough, Derek used the ones stacked up at bottom as a ramp. He bounded up, launching himself and Parrish at the edge of the roof and he heard the hellhound yell as they soared up and over onto the roof. Derek landed with a thump, the impact making him blow out a very un-alpha like sound. He was barely back on his feet before Noah was on him, his face full of concern. Derek rumbled reassurance and scented his mate’s father and Noah ruffled the fur around his face.

‘You okay, kid?’ he asked and Derek nodded. It was always weird to have a beta call him kid, but then again Noah was a special case. ‘Where’s Stiles?’

Derek rolled his eyes and Noah’s mouth flattened into an unimpressed line.

‘The little fucker’s taken off, hasn’t he?’ he asked and Derek growled agreement and then shifted back into his human form, rolling his neck to work out the kinks as the others crowded around to see what had happened.

‘He and Erin have ducked off somewhere.’ he said. ‘Bens’ leading the vamps down back towards the rear wards because he thinks it’s obviously big.’

‘How big?’ Peter was next to him, looking Derek over for injuries. Living under stress like this had brought back a lot of his old protectiveness and Derek leaned into his uncle’s touch.

‘It would have to be something serious.’ Ana folded her arms and looked at Chris. ‘The queen?’

‘Probably.’ Chris was reloading his weapon. He narrowed his eyes as he looked out over the roof. ‘Can I suggest that if they have a shot, we give them all the advantages that we can?’

‘Ben’s already said that we’re playing tag.’ Derek grinned. ‘He’s it.’

‘Jesus Christ.’ Mal muttered. ‘My father is an idiot.’

‘Don’t let him hear you say that.’ Derek said. ‘He’s drawing away the ones on the periphery. We’ve got to take care of this and just hope like hell that the Sparks know what they’re doing.’

***********

‘I hope you know what you’re doing.’ Stiles hissed and Erin gave him a look that was only mildly outraged.

‘What we’re doing.’ she corrected. ‘Now, what can you see?’

They were hiding behind a tangle of pipes and she wasn’t quite tall enough to see between them. The whole place was pitch dark and reeked of vampire so they’d had to tap into their magic to see well enough to find their quarry, even it it meant creeping right down into the very bowels of the center.

They had found the queen though and Stiles had to bite back his nausea when he peered through the gap in the pipes and saw what she was. It was not a well known thing that vampire swarms were matriarchal and ruled by a single queen in much the same way as a hive of wasps. This one was old, her stringy hair barely covering her balding scalp and she stank of the grave. Her clothes dated her to somewhere in the earlier part of the nineteenth century and she was ensconced near the back of the room, surrounded by doting members of her swarm.

‘She’s just sitting there.’ He had to focus a little when his concentration slipped and the barrier keeping the vampires from seeing them flickered. ‘It’s super creepy.’

‘She’s not going to be running around, now is she?’ Erin was on her tiptoes trying her best to see anything she could. ‘She’s probably a good couple of centuries old.’

‘How old do they get?’ Stiles was curious. He’d never quite kicked the need to research and know everything there was to know about a subject but their current lives really didn’t leave much time to raid libraries.

‘I met one once who was purported to be over five hundred.’ Erin replied. ‘He was grossly fat and had to be carried everywhere.’

‘What happened to him?’ Stiles asked and she grinned.

‘He made the mistake of going to work for a vampire upstart called Frost. The last I heard, a day-walker fried his ass.’

‘No shit?’ Stiles looked back at their queen. ‘I thought day-walkers were a myth.’

‘So are werewolves but it doesn’t stop either of us from fucking one.’ Erin countered. Technically even we are myths.’

‘Truth.’ Stiles frowned. ‘So how are we going to do this?’

‘In style.’ Erin grinned and both her hands lit up with flames.

************

The way down from the roof had to be through the cinema and it was a tricky business. The darkness didn’t help, bullets leaving tracers through the air and vampires clustering in corners. Along the way though they did manage to pick up Ethan and Jackson and Scott was amazed at how well the two packs fought together. He was in the middle with Isaac, Liam between them. Isaac was a formidable fighter now, quick and deadly with his claws. He eviscerated the vampire that dropped from the ceiling in front of them,snarling as he protected Scott and Liam. Liam was keen but still suffered from a reckless tendency to simply throw himself into the fight. Up ahead, Luke and Noah’s obvious experience of fighting in close quarters was evident in the way they moved, back to back and using short controlled bursts of fire to keep the vampires at bay. Behind them, Peter was a brutal storm. He fought ruthlessly, shifted and spitting in anger while Chris orbited him. Mal and Ana brought up the rear with the twins, Mitch and Sil guarding the flanks and as whole they made quick progress.

Derek and Parrish had gone back down first and they were already out of the building by the time the rest of them hit the ground, breaking in all directions and getting the vamps on the run. Parrish was back on Derek’s back, holding on tight while Derek galloped off with his tail up and head down. The sound of a howl came from some way ahead and Scott recognised it as Ben.

They had made it about a hundred meters distant before the air rumbled above them and Scott had to shut his eyes against the blinding flashes of lighting that hit the ground. He squinted into the night sky and saw the sheets of orange flame descend and then stared in absolute amazement as two figures came down, both dressed in the black leathers and wielding katanas. The vampires shrieked and tried to get away but they were suddenly hemmed in by something that felt to Scott like the very air was being snapped taught. It shimmered and rippled as it acted like a net, catching the vampires inside it and keeping them there. Another howl went up and Scott saw a large furry black body launch itself towards them. The other wolves had all dropped their weapons as well and shifted en masses, eyes glowing and claws popping as they snarled as one and began to fight.

**************

‘Oh shit.’ Stiles knew something was up from the way all the vampires in the boiler room froze. They all looked at the queen, already up and crouching on one of the flatter surfaces. Her fangs were bared, lips drawn back in a snarl and Stiles reached out with his magic. He was astonished to find that it was unimpeded by the vampires which could only mean that they had been cut off from the rest of the swarm. The insect like buzzing was very much muted and he grinned, knowing that whatever was happening the packs probably had a hand in it. The cutting off of the swarm from the queen was definitely Julio’s doing but they would have to move quickly to take advantage of it.

Erin burst out in front of him, her magic sweeping through the room and pinning the vampires against the nearest surface. She held them there, her eyes burning and her teeth gritted to leave a clear pathway to the queen for him. Stiles yelled and charged, bat coming down to catch the queen right in the face before she could react. She creamed at him, her teeth shattered and stained black as he hit her again and again, until her skull was stoved in. She flailed at him, her nails long and jagged and he skipped back and fought her off until he could get her on the ground, straddling her writhing body and doing his best to pin her down.

‘Stiles!’ Erin was consumed by her flames. ‘Stop dicking around and finish her before I blow everything to shit!’

‘Okay!’ Stiles barked back and reached for his secret weapon, strapped at the back of his jeans and hidden by his shirt and hoodie. It was old, far older than anything he’d ever encountered before and it had been a gift from a witch that had been passing through after her group was saved by their pack.

He wrenched it out and slammed it down, feeling the hardened carapace that protected the queen’s heart shatter under the force of his blow. It went right through, fragments of bone and scraps of tissue flying as he did it again and again until the queen finally stilled underneath him. Then it was like an elastic band had snapped and the other vamps just stopped struggling against Erin’s hold. She raised her arms, her hair snapped from its bonds and flying around her face, and Stiles threw up a protective shield and squeezed his eyes shut as she released the magic she was holding in. It was like being blasted with a water cannon, the magic seeping through at the edges of his shield and making his teeth ache.

The vampires screeched and then were blasted to pieces as the magic ripped them apart. Black ichor rained down on the boiler room, the stink indescribable. Stiles gagged, thankful that he had vomited up everything in his stomach earlier. It went on and on until finally the magic started to ebb away and he was left panting and still covering his head with his arms.

When it was finally silent, Stiles lifted his head and peered into the dark. He unfolded himself, grimacing as the stickiness that had soaked through his clothing and his hair, staining every exposed inch of skin there was. He spat and made a disgusted noise and then looked at Erin. Only her smile was unmarked in her splattered face and she cackled and gave him the ta-da hands.  
‘You’re an asshole.’ Stiles told her. ‘This is a fucking mess and Derek’s going to bitch like a stuck pig when he smells me.’

‘Stop moaning.’ Erin retrieved her staff from the floor. ‘It worked and the queen is dead.’

‘Yeah.’ Stiles regarded the bits and pieces strewn across the floor. ‘Can I…?’

‘Sure.’ Erin nodded. ‘Just make it quick, yeah? We’ve got wolves to catch up with.’

Stiles laughed and spread his hands, igniting the space and turning what was left of the vampires to ash. Leaving body parts was like opening a vermin buffet and this was much more hygienic, at least as hygienic as it could get. When he was done and all the metal in the room was glowing red hot, he followed Erin back up the stairs and into the mall. A quick sweep indicated that the vamps had gone, probably running away the second they felt their queen die.

‘So how far away do you think they are?’ Erin peered up at the sky, visible through the broken glass.

‘Pretty far.’ Stiles sighed and stretched, swinging his bat a few times. ‘We could send up a bat signal.’

‘Good idea.’ Erin grinned and looked around her. ‘I’m sure there’s a Victoria’s Secret I can loot in the meantime.’

‘Christ.’ Stiles laughed and then stopped as all sorts of ideas occurred to him. ‘Actually that’s not a bad idea.’

‘I know, Grasshopper.’ Erin laughed. ‘That’s why I’m the boss of you.’

She strode off and Stiles scrambled after her.

‘You are not!’ he protested but all she did was laugh at him.

************

It took until sunrise to hunt down every last vamp and kill them and by the time they were done, Derek’s tongue was hanging out and he was lanting hard. Ben was in a similar state and every other wolf was a mess. Annoyingly, Kira was immaculate as she came over and ruffled his ears.

‘That was a good hunt.’ Her eyes burned a steady orange. ‘I’m absolutely starving.’

Derek chuffed and nosed her in the stomach, making her giggle. In a lot of ways, the girl he’d gotten to know was still hiding underneath her more serious exterior and he felt sad she’d had to change so much.

Julio joined them, his magic still coming off him in waves. He would take a while to cool down and Derek knew they would all be heading back up to the border until the next time they had to come down and fight. It was an odd way to live, but the three of them enjoyed their nomadic wanderings.

‘Babe.’ He looped an arm around her slender waist. ‘We need to go.’

‘All right.’ Kira smiled at him and then looked back at Derek. ‘Tell Stiles I’ll see him in little bit.’

Derek barked and Kira glanced over at where Scott was hanging back with Liam and Isaac.

‘Keep an eye on him.’ she eventually said, her scent changing very subtly. ‘In all senses of the word.’

Derek licked her cheek and she squealed and shoved him away before walking off with Julio to go find her mother. He watched her go and then padded over to where Noah and Luke were talking to Chris and Peter. Ben’s pack was already on the move, taking an exhausted Parrish with them.

Noah absently rubbed Derek’s fur when he leaned against him, and Peter gave him a sharp grin. It was exactly the same thing Talia had used to do to her pack, leaning in and letting them absorb her strength.

‘You need to go find that asshole you’re mated to.’ he said and then looked at Luke. ‘You too.’

‘Like you never pulled shit like that.’ Luke grinned. He was tired, the lines on his face more pronounced.

‘He has a point.’ Chris said, smiling at Peter.

‘I’ll take the kids back home.’ Noah looked around. ‘Where are Ethan and Jackson?’

‘Probably fucking in an empty house.’ Isaac chuckled. ‘You know what they’re like after a hunt.’

Everyone groaned and rolled their eyes and Derek snickered.

‘You sound like Mutley.’ Peter snorted and came over, slinging an arm around him. ‘Be safe.’

Derek stuck his nose in Peter’s neck and looked at Luke expectantly. He slung his rifle across his back and shifted, and they took off in the direction their pack bond was now pulling them. The Sparks had lifted their magic so it was ringing in Derek’s ears like a bell.

They took the expressway, running in the dim early morning light. Derek panted happily, the light breeze bringing him all kinds of scents and ruffling his fur. It was a long stretch , the bond pulling them down towards the river until they got to the sign for the Lloyd’s Center. In hindsight, Derek should have considered this as a place that the vampires would go to ground.

The exit to the center led them into the city again, following it down until they turned right and jogged through the avenue of trees, the overgrown park on their left and the parking lot on their right. Derek slowed as he saw the two figures sprawled on the concrete, sunning themselves and he bounded across the sidewalk and over to them, tail wagging frantically when he saw Stiles was unharmed.

‘Hey big guy.’ Stiles was a mess, His clothes were soaked through with vampire blood that had dried stiff and dark and oddly shiny. His bat lay between his feet next to something that made Derek blink twice and then shift back.

‘What the hell is that?’ he asked, not unconvinced that he wasn’t hallucinating.

‘So, the Lloyd’s Center is a great place to scavenge for shit that nobody thought would be useful in the apocalypse.’ Stiles dark eyes were amber in the sunlight and full of mischief. ‘Also we totally took out Vamp Central so, you’re welcome for that.’

‘Yeah, I know.’ Derek was still fixated on the small pink and white striped bag. Erin had one too, although hers was considerably larger. Luke was looking at it like a starving man and Derek rolled his eyes when he saw that her face was filled with the same unholy glee as Stiles’.

‘It was so gross.’ Stiles’ grin widened. ‘Erin blasted everything down there, which is why we look like shit.’

‘Yeah, but you took out the queen.’ Erin was all but preening under Luke’s gaze. ‘So we decided we needed to get ourselves a little reward.’

‘Yeah.’ Stiles smile had a wicked edge. ‘But we need to get home first. Can’t show you what we got out here. Even if the rule of law no longer exists.’

‘Fine.’ Derek huffed and went to give him a hand up. He shifted back once Stiles was on his feet and waited for him and Erin to clamber aboard. He took off at a gentle jog, trying to ignore the smugness radiating from them both.

************

Thea was waiting for them all when they got back to the camp, the other wolves left behind clustered around her and looking very excited. Noah scented the air and caught a strange scent, one that was new and smelled a lot like…

‘No.’ His heart started pounding along with everyone else in the pack. ‘She didn’t.’

‘She did.’ Thea grinned, letting Ben scent her thoroughly and shoving at his huge head. ‘About two hours ago. I tell you what, it was a godsend having Melissa here to help.’ She looked past them. ‘Where is he?’

‘Stiles and Erin decided to make a little detour.’ Peter was right at Noah’s side, his blue eyes sparkling. ‘Are they okay?’

‘Mom and cub are doing well well.’ Thea smiled. ‘You can go see her. She’ll want her pack.’

They took off, not waiting for her to finish her sentence, Chris and the others in tow. This had been a long awaited moment and none of them were going to miss it.

Cora was in one of the upstairs dorm rooms, nestled in bed and cuddling a wrapped bundle to her chest. Zac was in the chair next to her and he bolted to his feet and growled when they all tried to squeeze through the doorway at the same time but he soon backed down when Peter snarled back. As the next in command he had the authority to demand the next closest position and he rounded the bed and went to where his niece was smiling at him, her dark eyes bright. She was exhausted but so so happy, and Peter made a choked off noise as he regarded her and the cub in her arms.

‘We’re calling her Talia.’ she said softly and Peter’s whole face crumpled. He whined and Chris moved swiftly to put his arms around him. The rest of the pack came a little closer and pressed in around the bed, forming a circle, all of them whining softly as they scented the air and the new cub.

‘Damn.’ Noah couldn’t stop smiling as Cora handed off the cub to him, Peter still far too emotional to even think about holding her. He gently pushed the blanket away from Talia’a little face. She was wrinkled and soft in the way of all babies, her skin still ruddy from the birth. She looked at Noah and her dark eyes tracked him as he nosed at her forehead, scenting her as gently as he dared.

‘Where’s Derek?’ Cora asked, her hand reaching out for Zac. He took it and Chris was the one to answer.

‘Stiles and Erin took off to go take out the queen and he went after them.’ He smiled across at Noah. ‘Dibs on holding her next.’

Noah chuckled and passed Talia over. She went from pack member to pack member, all of them scenting her and letting her sniff them in return. He couldn’t help noticing how tearful Cora got watching them and moved to stand by her.

‘You did good.’ He crouched down to look at her. ‘She’s beautiful.’

‘She’s a strong little cub.’ The pride in Zac’s voice was undisguised.

‘Well worthy of her name.’ Peter said, his voice cracking as Talia finally came to him. He wiped away his tears and took her from Isaac before pressing a kiss to her forehead. ‘Hi there, baby girl. Aren’t you just too gorgeous for words?’

‘Damn.’ Ethan was grinning. ‘I’ve never seen him like that before.’

‘It’s a family thing.’ Jackson had a sad look on his face. ‘Family’s important.’

‘That it is.’ Peter agreed. He handed Talia back to Cora and kissed her forehead as well. ‘You mom would be proud.’

Noah was about to suggest that they leave her and Talia to rest when the very air felt like it was electrified and he heard a deep throated howl go up outside.

‘I think the alpha’s back.’ he remarked and sure enough, they all heard the door to the building being nearly torn off its hinges and Stiles yelling for Derek to put on some pants. There was some snarling and Luke appeared at the doorway, his eyes blue and his normally stern face wreathed in smiles. Stiles was next, out of breath and practically vibrating out of his skin. Cora laughed when he skidded in through the door, nearly falling over his own feet in his rush to get to her.

‘You know we’re not going anywhere.’ she said and he pulled a face at her, coming to the bed and making grabby hands at Talia.

‘Give me my niece-in-law.’ he demanded and she handed Talia over. Noah took one look at his son’s face and sniggered. It was clearly love at first sight and he knew that whatever happened, Talia would have her Uncle Stiles wrapped around her tiny finger.

‘Gently.’ he admonished as Stiles clutched her to his chest. ‘Just because she’s a werewolf doesn’t mean you need to squeeze her to death.’

‘But she’s so precious.’ Stiles was visibly melting at he looked at her. ‘Her little face.’

‘Jesus, it’s just a baby.’ Zac laughed. ‘People make them all the time.’ He was completely at ease now, and clearly not fussed. Then again, his brother and parents all had cubs and so he was a little immune.

‘How dare you.’ Stiles glared at him. ‘She’s the most perfect thing in the entire universe. She is not _just a baby_.’

‘Hoo boy.’ Cora gave Zac a wicked smile. ‘Looks like we’re going to be co-parenting.’

Then she stopped talking and they all turned because Derek was at the door, barefoot and still tugging on a pair of sweatpants that had to be Ben's because they were too ill-fitting even on his long legs. He was out of breath, partly from running and partly because of being overwhelmed by what he was smelling judging from the twitching of his nose.

The pack parted like the Red Sea and he came forward to stare at Talia lying in Stiles’ arms. His dark brows were knitted together, his bunny teeth just visible as he took in the newest addition to the Hale pack.

‘Goddammit.’ Peter muttered. ‘I’m going to start crying again.’

‘Don’t.’ Cora’s lip was wobbling. ‘You’ll just set me off.’

That was enough for Noah and he growled loud enough to get the rest of the pack’s attention.

‘Everybody out.’ he ordered and they obeyed, although there was still some grumbling. He looked at Stiles and gave him an expectant look.

‘No, not me.’ Stiles protested. ‘I just got her.’

‘Everyone who’s not a Hale.’ Noah repeated, looking at Zac for confirmation. Zac nodded and they both watched as Stiles muttered something about favouritism and gently laid Talia in her alpha’s arms. He still didn’t move so Noah and Zac got him by the arms and steered him to the doorway. There they lingered, keeping an eye on the four Hales.

Derek was looking down at Talia with absolute wonder on his face, his eyes suspiciously bright.

‘We named her after Mom.’ Cora said softly. Peter had gone to sit next to her and she was holding his hand.

Derek made a wounded sound. He looked right at Talia and flashed his eyes once. Talia stared right back at him, her own eyes flashing gold in response.

‘She knows her alpha.’ Peter said, voice thick with emotion.

‘We can do the moon ritual tomorrow night, can’t we?’ Cora asked. ‘I don’t remember all of it but I thought you might.’

‘I do.’ Peter smiled. Every pack’s rituals were sacred and different.

‘She looks like you. When you were born.’ Derek said to her. He traced Talia’s cheek with one finger and she grabbed at it and held on tightly.

‘She’s strong and got one hell of a howl on her too.’ Cora held out her arms and he gave her back her cub then took a seat opposite Peter so she could snuggle down between them.

‘Dammit.’ At the doorway, Stiles was sniffling. He made to wipe his snotty nose on his sleeve and then grimaced at it. ‘I need a shower. I’m covered in vampire.’

‘I think that a shower and then some sleep is an excellent idea.’ Noah replied and put his arm around him, pulling Stiles close. ‘I’m glad you’re okay, kiddo.’

‘Come on.’ Luke herded them away from the door. ‘I smelled coffee brewing and I don’t know about you two but I could drink a gallon of it.’

‘Amen to that.’ Noah chuckled and they left the Hales to look over their cub.


	10. Alpha Mate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Derek and Stiles stop bickering long enough to get things done :)

The drive back was eventful to say the least. There was a lot of sniggering coming from the back seat from Ellie and Ewan, both of whom were highly amused by the turn of the previous night’s events. Zach was passed out, his encounter with the lovely fae having worn him out. Derek looked in the rear view mirror, seeing the wicked smiles the twins were throwing him and growled softly enough that he didn’t wake the sleeping boy next to him. Stiles had crawled into the front seat, wrapped in Derek’s leather jacket and looking far too angelic for someone who’d done the things with his mouth and hands in the darkness of the club. He smiled and reached over, one hand drifting down Stiles’ arm and Stiles smacked his lips in his sleep and made a sleepy noise that had Derek’s wolf wriggling in delight before drooling on himself and starting to snore loudly. Derek felt the overwhelming urge to pull over and cuddle the fuck out of him. He felt mildly disgusted that he found Stiles’ unattractiveness so endearing. 

‘You’re so fucking gone.’ Ellie snickered, giving word to exactly what he was feeling.

‘Shut up.’ Derek glared at her, the feeling of overwhelming protectiveness he had towards his would-be mate making him more defensive than normal. Thankfully, Ellie was a born wolf and more than aware of how he would be feeling. 

‘You’re going to get to have him tonight.’ She smiled. ‘I think you can hold out until then.’

‘Yeah.’ Ewan laughed. ‘At least he’s not actually biting anyone. Remember when Mitch tried to take your leg off for making Sil a cup of tea?’

‘Christ, she was nuts.’ Ellie was now giggling. ‘Tonight’s going to be wild. Just make sure you don’t knock him up.’ Her dark eyes were sparkling with mischief. 

‘Ha fucking ha.’ Derek retorted. ‘Do not fucking put ideas in his head.’

‘I don’t need to.’ Ellie bared her teeth at him. ‘I’ve seen his AO3 bookmarks.’

‘I don’t even want to know what that is.’ Derek muttered and committed himself to driving and ignoring the laughter from behind him. 

Four hours later they were pulling up at the diner. The twins piled out with Zach, already salivating at the thought of breakfast. Derek waited until they had gone around the building before leaning over and gently shaking Stiles by the arm. He woke up flailing, his brown eyes hazy with sleep, then caught sight of Derek and smiled. 

‘Hey Sourwolf.’ He lay back against the seat. ‘We there yet?’

‘Just arrived.’ Derek smiled back at him, undoing his seat belt and opening the door. ‘We’re at the diner.’

‘Yay.’ Stiles fumbled with his own until Derek huffed and did it for him. ‘I want a bucket of curly fries.’

‘You can have whatever you want.’ He traced the moles on Stiles left cheek. ‘Seriously, just say the fucking word.’

Stiles’ eyes cleared and he looked right at Derek, his own hand coming up to cover the one cupping his face. 

‘I think I love you.’ he said, so simply and so completely sincere that it made Derek’s heart start thumping like it was going to burst. ‘I mean, I knew that you meant a lot to me. We started out on opposite sides, but you were my friend and the only person I trusted completely. When you left though, that was when I realised that maybe it was something else too. I hated you for leaving and choosing her over me, even though I had no right to. I just wanted you to feel the same.’

Derek sighed and leaned on to nuzzle at him. 

‘If you had asked me to stay, I probably wouldn’t.’ he admitted. ‘I needed to be without you to realise what I wanted. Which is you, in case you hadn’t realised that. So yeah, I think I love you back.’ 

Stiles huffed a laugh, his scent turning sweet and happy. 

‘We’re idiots, you know that?’ He looked up through his lashed and Derek’s heart melted. 

‘I know.’ he replied and kissed him. 

When they got inside the diner, the other three were already crammed in a booth with Sil standing attendance. It was Mitch’s turn to be in the kitchen obviously and Derek could hear her singing along with the duwop they always played. Sil smiled at him, brushing her white blond curls out of her eyes. 

‘You want the usual?’ she asked and Derek steered Stiles into the booth and nodded. 

‘Extra curly fries.’ he said and Stiles beamed at him. He was still wearing the jacket and Derek sniffed surreptitiously, enjoying the combination of their scents that would eventually amalgamate into one that would declare to anyone that met them that they were mates. 

Breakfast arrived and there was no speaking for a long while as they demolished the food. Sil took a call while they were busy and came over to the booth.

‘Erin wants you to go straight to the greenhouse when you get back.’ she told Stiles. ‘No diversions.’ This was said with a grin in Derek’s direction. 

‘Okay.’ Stiles was smiling, his blinks slowed down by a combination of fatigue and food. Derek thought about him as a wolf, how those amber eyes would glow from the inside out, and Stiles raised an eyebrow at him. ‘What?’

‘Nothing.’ Derek drained his coffee. ‘We need to get back.’

It was an effort to shepherd them all to the docks. He and Zach took the tender tied up next to the boat. It would be a little hairy going out on the rib, but it would keep everyone awake. Zach did the piloting, everyone’s things dumped in the middle, with the twins at the bow. They whooped and laughed as the rib hit a wave, eyes glowing gold and growling at each other. He had settled in with Stiles wrapped in his arms, Derek’s nose buried in his hair. He was warm and soft, but as they got closer to the island Derek started to feel something change. Stiles felt like he was vibrating very gently under Derek’s hands, and his scent changed to something ozoney and sharp, like the air before a storm. Derek was used to smelling magic on Stiles, but this was very different. 

Erin and Kelly were waiting on the dock when they got to the island. Stiles roused himself long enough to get off the rib and was immediately whisked away before he could even say anything to Derek, who was still handing off the bags to the twins. He started to protest but Erin turned and laughed before he could. 

‘You’ll get him back later.’ she called. ‘Don’t worry.’

They disappeared up the steps and into the trees, leaving him to walk up with the twins and Zach. When they got to the cabins they found Ben waiting for them, Luke at his side. He nodded at the younger members of his pack and they took the bags Derek was carrying and left them, chattering as they headed for their respective homes. 

Derek waited patiently. He could feel the tension already, a shift in the way Ben was carrying himself. He’d been talked through this night already, but now he knew that things had changed. Ben and Luke tilted their heads, nostrils flaring as they scented him and Derek stood fast, meeting their eyes. He hadn’t tried to remove Stiles’ scent from him, carrying the mark of their dalliance proudly. It wasn’t every wolf that mated their emissary, that was a special bond that only a few achieved. His mother had never had it, or his grandmother or her before her If Laura had lived long enough to establish a pack and take an emissary, she might have but now it was up to him. 

Ben came to him, a large hand landing on his shoulder. His eyes flared red and Derek felt the weight of his power. Ben was everything Talia had been, wise and kind and fair but also absolute in his authority. He had come to be a strong and resolute presence in Derek’s life and he knew he would forever owe him everything. 

‘Are you ready for this?’ Luke had come to stand on his other side, his eyes blue. Derek took a deep breath. 

‘Yeah.’ He nodded, feeling the tension inside himself uncurl in the presence of both wolves. ‘Let’s do this.’ 

************

‘Where are we going?’ Stiles asked. ‘I thought you said to meet you at the greenhouse.’

‘Change of plans.’ Erin’s hazel eyes were sharp. ‘Ben and I had a little talk about traditions and it seems that the Hale pack had one in particular. So I called Peter and asked him about it and he confirmed. So, we’re doing that instead of what a Sherman emissary would do. It’s going to be a surprise for Derek.’ 

‘Oh?’ Stiles was intrigued. ‘And what the hell did Peter say about all this?’

‘Nothing much, which means he’s up to something.’ Eric chuckled. ‘Now hustle. We need to get you ready for tonight.’

‘Jesus.’ Stiles had to jog to keep up with in, in spite of the fact that she was head and shoulders shorter than him. ‘Is this some kind of prep the sacrificial virgin thing. Because, I’m not a virgin.’

‘No.’ Kelly laughed, hanging off his arm. ‘This is Spark initiation. And also maybe sacrificial virgin.’

‘What?’ Stiles was confused. ‘I didn’t know we had an initiation.’

‘’If by initiation you mean we get to go play in the woods, then yes.’ Erin grinned. ‘Mostly it’s me telling you what exactly you should expect and giving you your first introduction to the Nemeton.’

‘Really?’ Stiles was ecstatic. He’d felt the low key presence throughout the island but he’d never seen it. He’d had no idea just how corrupted the Beacon Hills Nemeton was until he’d come to the island and experienced the mellow surge of magic that was present in every thing there. 

‘Really really.’ Erin replied. ‘I know we tell the wolves that there’s going to be this big hoo ha tonight and all because they’re...how should I put it…completely anal when it comes to tradition. Druids don’t help at all because they’re even fucking worse. But us Sparks, we don’t need the chanting and the herbal effusions and all that bullshit. Just us and the power.’ 

‘Yeah.’ Kelly was bouncing next to him, her arm through his. ‘All you need to do is go up and say hello.’ 

‘Okay then.’ Stiles replied and let himself be towed along before Kelly let him go and skipped to catch up with Erin. She led them through the woods behind the cabins but when they got to the pathway that split to go to the back meadow and the greenhouse, Erin took them in the other direction. She started humming and Kelly picked up the tune. It took Stiles a second to realise it was Summertime and a shiver went right through him. It had one of his mom’s favourite songs and he had a vivid recollection of her standing in the kitchen peeling vegetables and humming the same tune while he drove toy cars around her feet. 

His steps faltered and they both turned at the same time. He stared at them, completely entranced by how their eyes glowed a brilliant violet. He’d seen them both do it before but he hadn’t been able to manifest in the same way yet and he couldn’t wait until he did.

‘How did you know?’ he asked, his voice breaking. 

‘Connections.’ Erin said. ‘There’s magic in love, especially the kind of love that brings a Spark into being. You shine with love for both your parents, so it’s easy for the Nemeton to tap into that. We just happen to pick up on it, kind of like radio receivers.’

‘It was something she sang all the time.’ Stiles said. ‘I miss it.’

‘We know you do.’ Erin said. She came to take his one hand and Kelly took the other. ‘We’ll never be able to replace her, but I hope that in time you’ll come to see us as sisters. Even if I’m technically old enough to be your grandma.’

‘Great grandma,’ Kelly snickered and then squealed when Erin zapped her. 

‘Cheeky.’ She was smiling though. 

The trees changed, becoming older and more gnarled. The branches were still thick with leaves and the sunlight filtered through them and dappled the ground and their faces. He tilted his up towards the sun and breathed in deeply, feeling energy fill him up. It was light and airy, electricity dancing along his skin and every last bit of drowsiness from the night before gone. He’d never felt so healthy, so vital, and he laughed, getting an urge to be as close to the earth as possible. He stopped, shedding his shoes and socks and tying the laces of his trainers together before slinging them around his neck. Erin and Kelly saw what he was doing and immediately did the same. Then they all linked hands again and started walking through the grove of trees. 

Stiles felt it before he saw it, the thrumming getting stronger and making his hair stand on end. He peered through the trees ahead and then gasped aloud as they came through into the clearing in front of them, the Nemeton standing there in all its glory. 

It was huge, the trunk spanning ten feet easily and with a canopy that shadowed an area three times as much. It was the largest tree Stiles had ever seen and the power coming off of it was awe-inspiring. He stood there with his mouth open, not quite sure what to do when Erin squeezed his hand gently. 

‘It’s okay.’ she murmured. ‘Come and say hello.’

************

Derek loped along the shoreline, wet sand compacted under his paws. Ben was just ahead of him, Luke to his left, and they skirted the woods to chase the sunlight as it danced on the water. There was a promontory that stuck out into the ocean and Derek chuffed and put on a burst of speed, overtaking Ben easily. He wasn’t as physically strong as the alpha but he was faster and he galloped for the end of the promontory, leaping off the end and hitting the water. He shifted as he went under, the cold of the Northern Pacific enough to take his breath away. He surfaced in time to get a massive splash in the face as Ben landed a couple of feet from him, having shifted in mid air to form an impressive cannonball. Luke was laughing as he finally made it, diving in one graceful motion because he’d shifted while he was still running.

They swam for a while, enjoying the combination of cold water and warm sunshine when they finally got out and lay on the shore, their bare skin melting back to fur. It was a beautiful day and Derek dried quickly. He lay on his side, ears flicking occasionally to pick up the sound of Ben and Luke breathing next to him. He remembered doing this with Peter and his father, his cousin Mark and uncle Keiran. It had been something they’d done, just the boys Peter had used to laugh. Then the fire had happened and Mark and Kieran had died in the basement and his father had been crushed by the falling roof of the house when he’d tried to get out to break the barrier. Peter had been burned beyond belief and then lost his mind and killed Laura and it should have hurt to remember how it used to be, but for the first time it was not only bearable but good to think of them. He felt a sadness that hurt that they would not be there to see him mate, that his parents would miss what had been the best thing about the whole sorry Beacon Hills clusterfuck, but it was clean and sharp and no longer the fetid infected misery that he’d wallowed in until he’d stumbled across a new wolf and a boy with beta gold eyes in the woods near the burnt out shell of his old home. 

Luke was closest to him and he made a soft enquiring noise, eyes open and fixed on Derek. Derek thumped his tail twice in reassurance and closed his eyes. He had nowhere to be just yet and a nap would do him good.

**************

Stiles was more relaxed than he could ever remember being.

The air smelled of fresh flowers, sun warmed earth and dry wood was all around him and he smiled and shifted on his branch. He was a couple higher than Erin. She’d claimed old age and was on a low branch that sat parallel with the ground, her back against the trunk and her eyes closed. Stiles was pretty sure she was snoozing, her magic only a glimmer in the back of his mind. Kelly, however, was wide awake and still climbing somewhere in the branches overhead, her giggles floating down to him. 

‘Stiles.’ she called. ‘Come up here.’

‘No.’ He was far too comfortable, the rustling of the leaves lulling his brain into a state that was as close to sleep as he’d felt without actually being asleep. ‘I’m comfy.’

‘Loser.’ Kelly cackled and he heard her climbing higher. It was some time later when he heard the sound of Thea’s voice floating up to them and opened his eyes, astonished to see that the sun was starting to dip. 

‘Damn.’ He peered down to Erin’s branch. ‘How long have we been up here?’

‘Time is relative, Grasshopper.’ Erin yawned, stretching as she sat up. Stiles did the same, enjoying the way his joints cracked before he started to make his way off the branch. Thea was waiting for them at the bottom. She had one arm around Kelly, who’d already descended, kissing the top of her daughter’s head while Kelly snuggled against her. Even though she wasn’t a wolf, she was as tactile as the rest of her pack and Stiles smiled at the picture they made. 

‘Where are the babies?’ she asked and Thea nodded at the treeline. 

‘Chasing bunnies.’ she replied, then tilted her head back and let out a soft lilting howl. There were a matched pair of replies a moment later and Zooey and Colby came out the trees to their left. Their clothes were grass stained and their dark eyes full of mischief as they gambolled over to their mother and sister. Like the rest of their pack they showed the promise of height, already gangly at seven years old. 

‘Piggy-back.’ Colby demanded, tugging at Stiles t-shirt and he relented, letting the cub climb aboard. Thea did the same with Zooey and they started heading back towards the pack house. Stiles threw one last glance at the Nemeton, feeling something drift over his mind that was warm and accepting in a way that he’d never felt from the one in Beacon Hills. 

‘It likes him.’ Thea remarked, glancing at Erin next to her. 

‘It does.’ she replied, giving Stiles a proud smile. ‘He passed with flying colours.’

‘So now what?’ Stiles asked. ‘Is there any other weird Spark thing I need to do?’

‘Not unless you consider making baked potatoes weird.’ Thea laughed and Stiles made a face. Prepping the food for cooking for the pack was a kid task and he was lumped in right along the other younger wolves. Not only that, but werewolves got through a very large number of potatoes on a regular night so he hated to think what a full moon dinner would be like.

When they got back, the whole pack was in the pack house. Sam Cooke was playing and there was a distinctly carnival atmosphere. Ben was at the stove and the savoury smells made Stiles stomach rumble as he realised that he had missed lunch. He looked around and saw that Luke and Derek were missing, along with Mal. Ana was on the floor, playing with Miles and Bobby. Mitch and Sil were busy packing up picnic baskets, Ellie and Ewan were putting drinks in a couple of coolers and Zac was trying to wind up what looked like about ten blankets into a roll that he could carry. 

‘Hey kid.’ Noah said from behind him. Stiles let Colby slide off his back and saw that his dad was dressed for walking, jeans and boots and his heavy flannel coat. ‘You have fun meeting your magical tree?’

‘Yeah.’ Stiles replied. ‘What do you need me to do?’ 

‘Go and have a shower.’ Erin answered for Noah. ‘And make sure you’re wearing easy access clothing.’ 

‘Oh, Jesus fuck.’ Noah went red and headed for the picnic baskets. ‘That I don’t need to know about.’ 

‘Oh and you might want to…’ Erin made a very expressive gesture and now even Stiles wanted to fall through the floor. 

‘Right.’ He turned tail and fled the packhouse, hearing the cackling behind him. He’d almost made it to the cabin when he felt an almost physical urge to turn around and saw Derek on the pathway from the meadows. He had clearly had time to get cleaned up after their ride back, dressed in clean jeans and a worn black and red flannel over a white tank. He was shoeless though, and Stiles found himself staring at his bare feet. It was weird how he got fixated by little things like the narrow elegant lines of Derek’s toes, and then he looked up and saw that Derek was staring at him with the same burning intensity. 

‘You were at the Nemeton.’ he said and his voice was rough. ‘I can smell it on you.’

‘Erin took me there.’ Stiles felt his stomach lurch pleasantly, like the feeling he got on rollercoasters. ‘She wanted to introduce me. She said it likes me.’

‘I can tell.’ Derek scented the air. ‘You stink of magic.’

‘Good stink or bad stink?’ Stiles felt rooted to the spot. His skin suddenly seemed like it was a size too small and he could feel his heart picking up speed. It was like the night club all over again only ramped up. He was starting to wonder just what the hell was wrong with him when he suddenly found Derek standing right in front of him. He’d moved so quickly, Stiles hadn’t even registered it and his eyes were flickering between blue and green like a broken light. 

‘Very fucking good.’ Derek growled, his head dipping as he inhaled along Stiles’ neck, and Stiles felt an overwhelming urge to get on his back and open his legs for him. It was so strong that he actually took a step back, his head starting to spin. 

‘Okay.’ He held one hand up. ‘Something is going on here.’

‘Yeah.’ Derek swallowed hard, taking his own step back. ‘You smell way too fucking good, so much so that all I want to do right now is bite you.’

‘Ixnay on the itingbay.’ Stiles protested, even though Derek’s words had only had the effect of making him hard as a rock. ‘You think this is a full moon thing?’

‘I think it’s the Nemeton interfering.’ Derek shook his head like a dog with water in its ears. ‘I felt it the second we got back on the island and it’s just been getting stronger.’ He looked up and Stiles gasped when Derek’s eyes flashed longer this time, his claws popped, his fangs dropped and he started growling. 

‘Oh shit.’ he breathed and was just about to take off when he felt a hand on his shoulder. The size and strength in the grip told him it was Ben. 

‘Don’t run.’ he ordered. ‘He’ll just chase you. He’s running on instinct right now.’

‘Why?’ Stiles watched as Derek beta shifted, his eyes fixed on where Ben was standing behind him. 

‘It’s the mating instinct.’ His words were slurred around his fangs and Ben nodded as he moved in front of Stiles. 

‘Not yet.’ His own eyes were burning red. ‘We talked about this.’ 

Derek snarled at them, his whole body tensing up before movement to his right caught his attention. It was Luke, also beta shifted and with his hands up. 

‘Derek.’ His voice as gentle. ‘Eyes on me, man. Come on.’ 

‘Oh crap.’ It was Erin. She ran up to them and flicked her hand out once in Derek’s direction. He flinched like she’s bopped him on the nose with a newspaper and shifted back to human.   
‘Ow.’ His hands came up to cover his nose and Stiles let out a hysterical giggle. He was still feeling horny and very confused by what was happening but at least Derek no longer looked like he wanted to eat him. 

‘It’s already started.’ Erin said. ‘He’s entered the transition. Once the moon is up, all bets are off.’ 

‘You took Stiles to the Nemeton too early.’ Ben growled. 

‘It wanted to meet him.’ Erin retorted. ‘You try telling it you’re on a timetable.’

‘Fine.’ Ben rolled his eyes in a manner so similar to Derek that it could have been genetic and Stiles slapped both hands over his mouth to keep the sass in. ‘Luke, take your prospective Alpha for another run. A long one. Keep him away from the grove.’

‘Got it.’ Luke grinned and wrestled Derek back in the direction he’d come from and ignoring the way Derek was growling and digging his heels in, twisting in Luke’s iron grip like he wanted to get back to Stiles. 

‘Okay Stiles.’ Erin chuckled, taking Stiles’ arm and hauling him along with her. ‘Apparently you crazy kids need a chaperone. Is there something you want to tell us about last night?’ 

‘No?’ Stiles looked back over his shoulder, mouth turning down when he heard Derek let out a plaintive whine. ‘Okay maybe a couple of blowjobs but nothing big.’ 

‘Well, it seems it was enough to kickstart the mating process, and our little trip to see the Tree has made it kind of pressing.’ Erin shoved him up the stairs of his cabin. ‘So you need to get our ass in there, shower and out on something you won’t mind being destroyed and then we’re taking you back to the Nemeton because it’s the only place Derek’s not going to be able to get to you.’

‘But dinner...’ Stiles whined. ‘I don’t get to eat with everyone?’

‘Not unless you’re happy with Derek fucking you in front of the pack or your father.’ Erin snickered. ‘Because that’s probably what’s going to happen the next time he sees you.’ 

‘Ugh.’ Stiles dropped his head and trudged in the direction of the bathroom. ‘Fucking werewolves.’

***********

Derek ran. His feet pounded the ground, the sense of urgency growing in his blood. He was still trying to get himself under control, but the lingering scent of Stiles was playing havoc with his senses. He’d smelled positively addicting, his natural scent and the traces of Derek’s own smell still on his skin combined with the magic that he exuded like some kind of drug designed to drive Derek out of his mind. He’d been completely unprepared for what he’d felt, not even Ben’s explanations of what an alpha mating bond would feel like had come close to the searing heat he’d felt when he’d lowered his nose to Stiles’ skin and breathed in him. Stiles had reeked of hormones and arousal and magic and it had been glorious. 

‘Keep going.’ Luke huffed next to him. ‘We’re at this until the moon comes up.’ 

Derek growled but he kept running. It held the boner at bay and made him feel less inclined to eat things. 

************

Stiles glared at the bathroom vanity. More specifically he was glaring at the innocuous white tube lying on the top next to the sink. 

‘Really?’ he yelled and heard erin snicker outside the door. 

‘I’d definitely recommend it.’ she replied. 

‘How do you even know I’m going to be the bottom?’ Stile picked up the lube and studied it. 

‘Derek’s going to have quite the transformation tonight.’ Stiles heard Erin lean against the door. ‘He’s going to want to claim and dominate you. Trust me, there’s no way you’re not going to end the night with a cock up your ass.’ She tapped her fingers against the wood. ‘YOu ever done this before, kid?’

‘What? The anal sex thing or the mating with a werewolf thing?’ Stiles flipped the cap on the lube and sniffed it. ‘Because that’s a no on both. Although let’s just say I am acquainted with my ass and leave it at that.’

‘Yeah.’ Erin was grinning, he could hear it in her voice. ‘I assumed that from your dildo collection. I have to say that I’m pretty impressed.’ 

‘Jesus, is nothing fucking sacred.’ Stiles dropped his towel, studying himself. He was still a little hard, the shower not having erased all the feelings he was having. ‘How the fuck do you even know about those?’

‘Best not to ask.’ Erin said. ‘Look, just make sure you’re lubed up and good to go. Derek’s going to be very wolfy and knotting is kind of a thing with born wolves.’

‘Fuck.’ Stiles felt heat zing through him. ‘Don’t tell me shit like that.’ He frowned. ‘Hang on, how do you know that?’  
‘I’ve been around.’ Erin laughed. ‘And Hale wolves have a certain...reputation.’

‘Oh gross.’ Stiles muttered. ‘I keep forgetting you fucked Peter, didn’t you?’

‘Say what you like, but the man is very talented if somewhat insane.’ Erin said. ‘Now, hurry the fuck up. I want to get you safely to the Nemeton.’ 

Stiles heard her walking off and sighed. He looked at the lube in his hand and then thought about what she’d just said. He’d always had kinks that he’d kept to himself, particularly after werewolves had burst into his life. It hadn’t taken long for him to realise that Derek ticked a lot of his boxes and that had resulted in feverish fic reading and the purchase of his very first Bad Dragon, a sleek black beast named David. Yes indeed, Stiles may not have had any actual werewolf sex (Malia didn’t count because she had always been human when they did it) but he knew a thing or two about knots, even if they were synthetic ones. 

It didn’t take long to get himself ready, his body used to opening up and taking his fingers in preparation for something bigger. Stiles tried to stay clinical about it, but the look on Derek’s eyes came back to him and then he was panting and edging himself towards taking three fingers, oblivious to everything but the thought of Derek and how it would feel to have him inside. He started panting, his cock completely erect and starting to leak and Stiles knew that he was going to lose it if he didn’t do anything about it. It only took three strokes of his lube wet hand before he was stifling a yell and coming across the front of the vanity, the strength of it taking his breath away. 

Mortified for having jerked off with his mentor in hearing distance, Stiles cleaned off the counter and his hands and got dressed in the boxer briefs and sweatpants he’d picked out, along with a t-shirt and finally his old red hoodie. It appealed to his sense of humour and would be warm enough to keep out the steadily growing chill. 

He came out the bathroom and was relieved to find the cabin empty. Erin was on the porch when he came out, humming to herself and making a chain of wildflowers. She twisted off the ends and plonked the crown on Stiles’ head when he sat down next to her. 

‘There.’ Her smile was wicked. ‘Now you look like a proper springtime virgin.’ 

‘Not a virgin.’ Stiles replied and her eyes twinkled. 

‘As far as your ass is concerned you are.’ she cackled. ‘You ready to go?’ She got up and dusted off her hands. ‘Leave the shoes off.’ 

‘My feet are going to get cold.’ Stiles grumbled but then perked up when he saw the basket on the step next to her. ‘Food?’

‘Your dad brought it over when everyone left so we don’t have to go hungry while we do the ritual.’ Erin said. ‘He’s handling this remarkably well. You don’t need to worry, I’ll keep him occupied when I get back.’

‘Christ.’ Stiles huffed. ‘I suppose that everyone knows what’s going to happen tonight.’

‘It’s normal alpha mating, Stiles.’ Erin grinned at him. ‘It’s what has to happen. After tonight, you’ll be Derek’s mate and his emissary and the Hale alpha power will be restored. It should never have been lost in the first place and this is the first step to restoring the balance that was thrown out by Paige’s death. That’s how long this has been in play. Everything that’s happened has just been leading up to this point.’

They started walking, taking the path back to the Nemeton. Stiles had the basket in one hand, grimacing at the shishing in his ass with every step. 

‘I feel ridiculous.’ He gave Erin the side-eye. ‘This is about as unromantic as you could possibly make it.’

‘You’re going to be very thankful for pragmatism.’ Erin replied. She nodded up at the sky, now darkened to a deep violet and sprinkled with stars. ‘Moonrise is coming. Can you feel it?’

Stiles focused for a minute, and then inhaled sharply as the magic caught him. He’d never felt anything like it. It was like he was waking up, even though he was conscious, his senses starting to sharpen. 

‘Is this what it’s like for the wolves?’ he asked and Erin nodded. 

‘The longer you’re an emissary, the longer their magic will bind with yours.’ she said. ‘Eventually, you will one with Derek so completely that his power will be yours and yours will give his strength. Your bond is going to be very special.’

‘I don’t remember Deaton saying anything about this.’ Stiles said and Erin pulled a face. 

‘Druids are barely competent as emissaries.’ she said. ‘Trust me, if Talia’s emissary had been a Spark, none of this would have happened in the first place. And once you manifested, you would have probably been drafted into being Laura’s emissary.’

‘Does that mean, I wouldn’t have been with Derek?’ Stiles frowned. 

‘No, just that you would have mated with him as a beta and not as an alpha.’ Erin replied. ‘I think your magic would have run into theirs regardless.’

‘Huh.’ Stiles felt pleased at that. It felt right to think of him and Derek being more than just thrown together by forces beyond their control.   
He felt the surge in magic as they got closer to the Nemeton’s grove, his eyes widening when they made their way through the trees and into the clearing. Earlier in the day, the light had been warm and golden, now it was as if the whole place was glowing. It certainly wasn’t from anything natural and neither were the tiny motes of light that floated through the air or the thick carpet of tiny white flowers that certainly hadn’t been there in the afternoon. The Nemeton was humming, low and constant like the buzzing of an electrical pylon and it instantly made Stiles’ skin tingle. 

He saw someone standing at the base of the tree. It was Kelly, barefoot like they were and dressed in a long deep green dress that made her skin glow. 

‘Everyone’s at the meadow.’ she said. ‘We can start now if you want.’

‘Food first.’ Erin nodded at a spot and Stiles set the basket down. ‘Then magic.’ 

Stiles’ stomach growled as they sat and Erin started sharing out the food. There were roast beef sandwiches, thick cut and slathered in mustard and horseradish, and tubs of potato salad and coleslaw. Noah had packed them sodas and buried in the bottom were the cookies that Stiles had smelled in the kitchen, chocolate chip and oatmeal cranberry. Ana had also made empanadas filled with spicy chicken and Mitch and Sil had clearly been the providers of the brownies, thick with frosting. But it was the last that had him smiling and getting more emotional than he should have. He unwrapped the dark crusty loaf of Żytni chleb na zakwasie that was nestled in the bottom along with a small container of salt and a wrinkled sausage with a dark skin that smelled like smoke. 

‘There should be vodka.’ he said and Erin smiled. 

‘He said he wanted to wait until you and Derek came back, but then I told him that it was unlikely we’d see you until morning so.’ She reached into the basket and came out with the final object, a small glass bottle and two shot glasses. ‘He said you can break the rules this once, seeing as this is pretty much like you getting married.’

Stiles laughed and watched as she poured out three shots. 

‘Na Zdrowie.’ he said and Erin passed Kelly a glass and held up her own. 

‘Sláinte.’ she replied, clinking her glass against his. 

‘Ditto.’ Kelly grinned while doing the same, and they all drank. She made a disgusted noise, sticking her tongue out. ‘Why?’

‘You’ll find out when you go to college.’ Erin chuckled. ‘Now pass me the pickles.’  
************

Noah looked up at the stars. He was feeling oddly nostalgic and more than a little melancholy at the thought that he was alone on a night like this. He hadn’t missed Claudia so badly since Stiles had gotten possessed and he’d been left thinking he would lose his son just like he’d lost her. He sighed and picked at the label on his beer bottle and looked at the wolves around him. They were out in the meadow, all sitting around a huge fire pit that had been dug that morning and eating the wealth of food that kept coming out the picnic baskets with their faces illuminated by the fire as it sent tiny glowing lights into the air. 

‘Hey.’ Ben’s voice broke through his thoughts. ‘You okay?’

‘Yeah.’ Noah took a pull of his beer. ‘I was just thinking about how much Claudia would have loved this.’

Ben smiled at him, his face full of sympathy. His eyes were glowing a steady red, something that had been more than a little disconcerting when Noah had first arrived but which now felt comforting. 

‘It never goes away.’ he said, his voice dropping. ‘Losing the ones we love changes us so dramatically and we feel it forever.’ He put a hand on Noah’s shoulder. ‘She would be happy to know you’re both safe and valued here. You will always have a home with our pack, Noah.’

‘Thank you.’ Noah said and meant it. He’d never expected to find the kind of family that he and his son seem to have landed in. 

‘You’re more than welcome.’ Ben replied. ‘And after tonight, you’re going to have your own pack as well to be part of.’

‘How will it work?’ Noah asked. ‘Derek getting his alpha power back?’

‘Simple.’ Ben said. ‘There is a misconception that alpha wolves need to be separate from each other, but we’re not like actual wolves in that way. We can share territories and help each other. It’s something we’ve had to learn in order to survive. Derek’s pack is far from the only one to have been slaughtered by hunters. Luke’s pack was in the same position, and so it’s always been since the days of Gevaudan. You will be welcome to stay as long as you wish, forever if that is what you want. I know Erin has plans for Derek to call his pack home to him once his power is returned, and the same will apply to them. I know he has a sister in South America, and betas in France and England. Peter will possibly be part of the equation, should Derek decide that he wants his uncle in his pack. Erin says that there are other kinks, although they are tenuous and she doesn’t quite know how they are yet. So your answer is, we’ll take it one day at a time as it happens.’

Noah felt relieved by that. He leaned back on one hand and gestured to the others with his beer bottle. 

‘So with that answered, what can I expect to see tonight?’ he asked and Ben laughed, a deep rumble that came from the depths of his chest. His answering grin had fangs in it and when Noah looked around he saw the rest of the pack watching them with glowing eyes. 

‘We eat, we drink and we have a good time.’ he replied. ‘And when the moon’s at its height, we run.’ 

Noah was curious about that. He’d seen more than one member of the pack in their wolf form before, but he had to admit that seeing them all like that would be quite something. But then another round of sandwiches and beer came around and he gave up thinking to enjoy the food and the laughter of the people around him. 

************

Stiles was pleasantly full and bordering on tipsy. He had his back against the trunk of the Nemeton, legs stretched out and his flower crown tipped over one eye. 

‘So how long until we do this?’ he asked and Erin crinkled her nose and looked at the sky. She set her drink aside and got up, holding out a hand to Kelly. 

‘I think now’s good.’ she said and Stiles got up. He waited for instructions but then his attention was caught by the sound of a wolf’s howl, long and yearning as it broke the quiet. 

‘Right on cue.’ Erin grinned. She held out her hands to them. Kelly took one and did the same. Stiles looked at the offered hands and then stepped into the circle. As he touched them both, a surge of magic went up both arms and seemed to explode behind his eyes and he shut them on instinct. It felt like he was being electrocuted, and then a secondary stream of energy came up from the ground and through his feet, mingling with his Spark and making him suck in a sharp breath. It felt like he was about to float away but then something threaded through it, something steady and strong and Stiles knew it was Derek. He latched onto it, reeling it in, and the howl went up again. This time it sounded much closer and he smiled, opening his eyes. Kelly and Erin were looking at him, their eyes alight and Stiles knew that his were also glowing Spark violet. 

‘This is it, kid.’ Erin said. ‘Last chance to back out.’ 

‘No.’ Stiles shook his head. ‘I’m in this, all the way.’

‘Okay then.’ Erin looked at into the Nemeton’s branches. ‘You heard him, Tree.’

The surge turned into a flood. It was powerful enough to snap Stiles’ teeth together and turn the rushing in his ears into a deafening torrent of sound. He tightened his grip on the hands in his and then they were in his head too, Kelly’s magic curling around his like fresh green spring tendrils that were deceptively strong and Erin’s like seams of stone beneath the earth that rooted him in and held him still. His own was completely different, all brilliant sparks of lightning that dances between them and made all the hairs on his arms stand on end. 

‘Wow.’ Kelly looked entranced. ‘That’s amazing.’

‘Why is it so different?’ Stiles asked, his eyes widening as purple licks of flame started to appear and flicker up and down his arms and across to theirs. 

‘It’s what makes you, you.’ Erin explained. ‘This is the culmination of who you’ve become.’ She smiled at him. ‘Okay Grasshopper, time for the formalities. I could do a whole song and dance but all the Tree wants to know is will you protect and serve your pack and alpha faithfully? Will you fight to the ends of the world for them and destroy their enemies? Will you love and guide your mate as best you can?’

‘Those sound like marriage vows.’ Stiles grinned. ‘And yes, I will.’

The flood turned into a tsunami and Stiles felt himself being lifted off his feet by the power of the magic around them. The howl was so close now it was almost as if Derek was in the clearing with them. Then, as suddenly as it had come, the magic washed away and he was standing holding hands with Erin and Kelly underneath the Nemeton. 

‘Damn kid.’ Erin laughed. ‘You’re a firecracker. Just try not to break him.’ She let his hand go and turned to Kelly. ‘We need to get going. The last thing we want is to be here when the alpha arrives.’ 

‘Yikes.’ Kelly was grinning. ‘You don’t need to tell me twice.’

They packed up the remains of the meal and then they were practically running away, giggling and yelling x-rated advice as they made their escape.

‘I hate you both!’ Stiles yelled after them, then froze when he heard a low growl coming from the treeline. He scanned the darkness and saw a pair of electric blue eyes watching his every move. It sent a shiver down his spine and he remembered what Ben had said earlier about being chased. 

As if on cue, Derek moved out of the trees and Stiles gasped. He’d never get over how amazing Derek’s full shift form was. He was a beautiful wolf, his fur pure black but for a silver spot at his chin. His eyes glowed as he padded forward, the growl getting louder as he approached and circled Stiles. Every movement screamed predator and Stiles felt the rush of excitement and arousal come back full force. 

‘Hey Sourwolf.’ he said. ‘You looking for something?’

Derek chuffed at him and came closer. Stiles stood perfectly still, shuddering when Derek’s snout made contact with his rapidly hardening cock. He look long leisurely sniffs and Stiles had to dig his nails into his palms. His heart was pounding, his breathing getting shorter as Derek nuzzled him. 

‘You know this is illegal in pretty much every state.’ he stammered. ‘Maybe if we negotiated beforehand but I think I’d like to skip the beastiality tonight.’ He glanced down and saw Derek looking up at him with what looked as close to smug amusement as it was possible to convey with a wolfy face. Then he very slowly and very deliberately licked along Stiles’ erection and Stiles felt like his knees were about to give out. 

‘You asshole.’ he breathed. Derek whuffed at him and then he reared up, changing in one perfect fluid movement until he was standing in front of Stiles, now completely human. Of course that also meant he was naked and Stiles let out a little squeak as his eyes dropped of their own volition and he saw that Derek was every bit as hard as he was. 

‘Stiles.’ Derek’s voice was warm with amusement. ‘You need to run.’ 

‘What?’ Stiles dragged his eyes up, but it was an effort. ‘Run?’

Derek grinned and it was all fang. 

‘Run.’ he growled and Stiles survival instinct finally kicked in. He shrieked as Derek feinted at him and took off into the trees. 

***********

Noah froze as he heard the howl. It sounded far off but all the wolves stopped what they were doing and their heads turned as one in the direction it had come from. 

‘It’s started.’ Thea said. She gave Noah a reassuring smile. ‘Don’t worry. Stiles is more than a match for Derek.’

‘I guess.’ Noah reached for another beer. He noticed that the wolves were all getting up and starting to shed their clothes. ‘I’m guessing that was some kind of signal?’

Thea’s eyes lit up gold and she grinned at him, fangs bared. She went to join the others, taking off her own clothes. Noah looked at Ben next to him, watching in unabashed fascination as the alpha undressed and then shifted. As a wolf he was taller than Noah was sitting down, and he lifted his head and howled in answer. Around them, the others did the same and it rose in a chorus. Luke was on his other side, his howl almost as deep as Ben’s. Thea sat singing with the cubs. Mal, Zac, the twins and Mitch and Sil stood in a ring looking out from the fire and it went on and one for minutes until Ben finally lowered his snout and barked once. Then they were gone into the night with only the cubs left sitting around the fire with Ana. She was shifted into her beta form, her jaguar colouring making her face difficult to focus on in the firelight. Miles was a squirming fluffy bundle in her lap, while Bobby toddled over to Zooey and Colby to wrestle and growl in play. They were all shaded in dark brown with soft puppy coats and floppy ears and Noah’s heart melted as he watched them. 

‘There you are.’ Erin came out of the dark, her eyes lit up. Kelly was with her and they both flopped down on the blanket he was occupying. The older cubs saw Kelly and immediately trotted over, growling playfully as they tumbled over their sister’s legs. That left Bobby on her own to whine pathetically enough that her mother got up and retrieved her, coming to join them with a cub under each arm that she set down on the blanket. Noah found himself suddenly the focus of Miles’ sharp little teeth as the cub latched onto one of his laces, tugging the knot undone. He gently detached him and picked him up to cradle in his arms and Miles made a sleepy noise and settled in, yawning to reveal needle sharp fangs and a little pink tongue. 

‘You’re a natural.’ Ana purred. ‘I may make you babysitter in chief.’ Her emerald green eyes flashed at him and he grinned and scratched through Mile’s soft fur. 

‘If you’d told me I’d be doing this a year ago, I would have thought you were crazy.’ he said. 

‘This isn’t crazy.’ Erin said. She had her head tilted back to watch the flames. ‘Just different.’ 

***********

Stiles was laughing and panting and barely able to breathe as he ran around the Nemeton for what felt like the hundredth time. He had no idea playing chase with a werewolf would be so much fun, but it was and he was giggling like a child as he tried to evade Derek once more before he got caught. 

‘You’re cheating.’ He waved an accusing finger at his mate and Derek made the approximation of a wolfy laugh. He’d shifted back, nipping at Stiles’ heels when he got to close and using his superior weight to bowl him over into the grass and then slobber all over his face before dashing off before Stiles could retaliate. Now he was also panting, long pink tongue lolling out the side of his mouth and his tail wagging. 

Stiles wasn’t above cheating himself and so he zapped Derek as soon as he got close, getting a very loud yelp and then being knocked right off his feet for his trouble. He ended up in the grass (thankfully as thick and soft as an actual mattress), legs splayed and with a faceful of happy wolf. He yelled in protest and tried to shove Derek off but then Derek shifted and suddenly Stiles had a very human tongue in his mouth and a hard cock pressing against his own and it was a very different ball game, all puns intended. He kissed back with all he had and Derek growled low in his chest and suddenly Stiles’ sweatpants were being literally shredded from his body. He shivered as the air hit his overheated skin and groaned when Derek moved now, his nose pressed to the skin of Stiles’ belly and his tongue tracking along his happy trail. It was still a little rough because he wasn’t fully shifted back and Stiles whimpered at the way it left little contrails of fire across his skin. 

‘Fuck.’ He thumped his head against the ground. 

‘What?’ Derek lifted his head, his eyebrows knitted together in concern and it was so cute that Stiles wanted to punch him.

‘Nothing.’ He flailed at him, motioning in the direction of his dick. ‘As you were.’ 

‘You’re so fucking weird.’ Derek snickered. ‘You’ve been fucking weird since the first day I met you in the preserve.’

‘Good thing weird gets you off then.’ Stiles sniped back and then went cross eyed when Derek licked along his cock. ‘God, I’m going to self combust at this rate.’ 

‘Your eyes are all glowy.’ Derek remarked. ‘It’s hot.’ He started licking in earnest and Stiles whined and tried to calm down enough to not come all over himself and Derek’s face. He arched up as Derek’s mouth came down over the head of his cock, wriggling in pleasure and pulling up clumps of grass. 

‘I’m going to come before you fuck me.’ he muttered and Derek snorted through his nose and started bobbing his head, wet warm mouth making Stiles completely lose any hold on himself. ‘Jesus fucking Christ on a pogo stick.’

It took only one more hard suck on the up and he lost it, coming hard in Derek’s mouth and flopping back into the grass as he tried to catch his breath. 

‘Holy orgasms, Batman.’ He laughed, one arm randomly patting at Derek’s head. ‘You are a fucking prodigy when it comes to blowjobs.’

‘You do realise that makes no sense at all.’ Derek said, coming to kneel over him, one hand working his own cock. ‘Now shut up so I can come on your face.’

‘Kinky.’ Stiles sniggered but he dutifully closed his eyes when Derek growled at him and a second later felt warm stripes across his cheeks and nose. It smelled musky and animal and Stiles opened his eyes to see that Derek was looking completely blissed out, eyes flickering again and his tongue peeking from between his fangs. It took a second to figure out what was different but then it hit him like a ton of bricks.

‘Dude.’ He pointed at Derek’s face. ‘Your eyes are kind of weird.’ 

‘Yeah?’ Derek frowned. He blinked a couple of times but the change from blue to red didn’t stop. ‘Actually I feel kind of weird.’ He looked down at himself and Stiles did too, all his blood rushing south when he saw that Derek wasn’t not only still hard but also seemed to be getting harder.

‘I feel like I should be really fucking intimidated but all I want is for you to stick it in me.’ he blurted out and Derek grinned. 

‘I can do that.’ his hands were trailing down Stiles’ sides. ‘But first I want to eat you out. Is that okay?’

‘Like you have to ask.’ Stiles snorted and spread his legs. ‘Have at it, big guy.’

Derek rolled his eyes and laughed at him, moving back down. 

‘So fucking hot.’ It was muffled as his head dipped down so all Stiles could see was dark hair, but then Derek’s tongue dragged over where he was hot and wet and dying for anything to be in him and Stiles moaned and decided that he could probably die from happiness if Derek rimmed him just right. He knew he probably looked like a mess, face still streaked with come and his t-shirt all rucked up and smeared with grass and a hot as fuck werewolf trying to get his tingue in Stiles’ ass. 

It was perfect.

Derek seemed to really be enjoying himself if the resounding growls were anything to go by. His tongue was still rough, the extra friction so good that Stiles thought he was going to come again just from that. He tugged at Derek’s hair and whined and Derek pinned him down, claws pricking his skin as he doubled down and worked his tongue inside. By the time he finally deemed Stiles ready, Stiles was a mess of the residual lube and Derek’s saliva and so ready to be fucked he was on the verge of begging. 

‘Come on.’ He managed to pull Derek up enough to look him in the eye. ‘Are you going to knot me or what?’

That had an unexpected effect and Derek surged forward, snarling in Stiles’ face and snapping his teeth at him. It was far hotter than Stiles expected it to be and he had a moment to contemplate his complete lack of self-preservation when faced with Derek Hale and his gorgeous cock. 

‘Or maybe not?’ he ventured but got cut off when Derek kissed him hard enough to bruise. He mapped out Stiles’ mouth thoroughly and then pulled back, biting at Stiles’ collar bone. 

‘Say it again.’ he panted and Stiles finally caught on. 

‘Oh.’ he grinned wickedly to himself. ‘You want me to tell you to knot me?’

‘Fuck.’ Derek whined. ‘God yes, again.’ His hips were going wild, his hard cock leaving wet smears all over Stiles’ skin as he humped him shamelessly. Stiles decided to go for broke. He grabbed hold of Derek’s face and made him look at him. 

‘I want you to knot me, Alpha.’ He said it slowly, drawing it out. ‘I wan you to put that big beautilfu cock in my ass and fuck me until you get stuck inside me.’ 

That seemed to be the limit of Derek’s control. He moved too fast to track and Stiles found himself being hauled onto his hands and knees. Derek had him held fast by the hips, his cock sliding over him a couple of times before it hit just right and he was buried in a single stroke that had Stiles yelling. It felt so unbelievably good, the angle just right as Derek started to thrust hard and fast. It was rough and uncontained and Stiles had to drop to his elbows because Derek seemed to have no restraint as he pounded into him. He was snarling and panting and Stiles was vaguely aware of wetness hitting his back when Derek leaned forward to lick the skin between his shoulder blades. 

He’d never expected it to be like this. His own adventures hadn’t prepared him for the intensity of having Derek’s cock so deep inside him, taking everything he had and turning Stiles inside out. He felt it then, the same surging magic he’d felt earlier and the rushing pleasure that had him digging his fingers into the ground beneath him. 

‘Come on.’ he panted. ‘Finish it.’ 

Derek growled and leaned forward enough to bite at the back of Stiles’ neck. Stiles could feel the tugging at his entrance, the way it was getting harder for Derek to push in and pull out and the undeniable thickening of the base of his cock. He managed one more before it locked in and then the pressure was right on Stiles’ prostate. He bit his own lip, tasting copper and crying out as the wave of heat took him. It felt like he was plugged into a feedback circle of constant pleasure and he came hard without a single touch to his cock, bearing down around Derek’s knot and that was when Derek snarled and bit down in turn, his fangs breaking the skin. 

The bond felt like a small nuclear detonation in Stiles’ brain. It was like he could feel and taste and smell and hear everything Derek could in that moment, the stink of his come mixing with the torn up earth and their combined sweat and pheromones and the way they moaned in unison. The blood in his mouth matched the blood in Derek’s and then Derek was coming inside him, his hips grinding in and drawing out Stiles’ orgams until it felt like it would never end. 

He felt Derek let go and then he was howling, head tipped back and eyes flaring a brilliant red as the alpha power came back with a vengeance and coiled through Stiles’ own Spark until it was so completely entwined that it would never be able to be unwound. 

It took forever for them to stop shaking, both of them out of breath and wet with sweat when Derek eased them to the grass on their side and settled in behind Stiles, licking at the bite mark on the back of his neck. Thankfully, wolfy saliva seemed to be narcotic and Stiles smiled and made a sleepy noise of appreciation. 

‘That was good.’ he patted the arm that Derek had across his chest. ‘Good Alpha.’

‘Fuck off.’ Derek growled happily and kissed the side of his neck. ‘You fucking love it.’

‘I fucking love you.’ Stiles laughed. He clenched just to hear Derek’s breathing go out of kilter. ‘You can’t ever say anything bad about me again. I’m your mate now.’ 

‘Yeah.’ Derek’s voice was dreamy. ‘I love you. My beautiful mate who’s also a grade A asshole.’

‘Takes one to know one, buddy.’ Stiles yawned. ‘So how long are we stuck like this?’ 

‘No idea.’ Derek yawned as well. ‘Might as well get some sleep while we’re at it.’

‘Mmmm.’ Stiles mumbled, already half under as he settled into the grass, Derek’s scent filling his nose.


	11. Awakening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time to wrap up the loose ends.

Stiles hummed as he worked, hands light and capable. Derek sat and watched him, Talia asleep in his arms and making the little whiny snuffling noises that were typical of a newborn cub. He was babysitting while Cora slept off the birth and Zach got some well deserved rest as well. It had been a big night for all of them. 

He and Stiles had managed a couple of hours until Stiles had woken up, sitting bolt upright and then falling out of their bed. He’d rambled about waking Lydia up and gotten dressed, flailing all over the place while Derek watched with bemused eyes and then retreated under the covers. He’d learned from experience that it was best to just get out the way and let Stiles do what he needed to do when he was like that. Sparks were a force of nature, literally, when they were inspired and it hadn’t surprised him one bit when he’d heard thunder rumbling overhead. Stiles had a tendency to leak. 

Of course, his retreat had not held up for long before Stiles had bullied him out of bed and demanded Derek’s attendance on what he was about to do. He’d growled and threatened and flashed his eyes but Stiles was having none of it, which was why he was in the infirmary room where Lydia was still unconscious. Thankfully he’d had the foresight to go and pick up his niece first and her soft cub smell soothed over his nerves as Stiles clanged and mixed odd smelling things in a mortar and consulted a very sleepy Erin, who’d come along to supervise. Between her experience and Derek being Stiles’ anchor, they were hoping for a good result. 

The door to the room opened and Parrish came in, his expression a mixture of fear, hope and love that had Derek’s stomach clenching in sympathy. He’d had enough close calls with Stiles to appreciate the gut-gnawing terror of someone he loved being in danger. 

Stiles and Erin barely spared Parrish a glance, too busy arguing over something that smoked and smelled like magic barely contained so he simply dragged a chair over to where Derek was sitting and all but fell into it, his hands clasped and his mouth resting on them. Derek regarded him for a moment and then nudged Parrish’s knee with his. 

‘She’ll be okay.’ he murmured. ‘She’s in excellent, albeit odd, hands.’ 

‘Fuck you, Sourwolf.’ Stiles retorted over his shoulder, but it was amiable. ‘You’ll be thanking us when we get her back.’

‘Can you?’ Parrish’s eyes lit up and Derek knew his control was wafer thin. He decided a distraction was in order and handed over Talia before Parrish could object. Parrish blinked in surprise but handled her carefully, shifting her to one arm and looking at her scrunched up face. Talia responded by grimacing and opening her eyes. There was a little gold flash and, to Derek’s utter astonishment, Parrish’s eyes glowed orange. It was a reaction he’d expect from pack but Parrish wasn’t pack and he glanced at Stiles, only to find his mate looking extremely smug. He smirked and then gestured like he was ticking off an imaginary tally and Derek found himself wondering just what he was up to. 

‘She’s beautiful.’ Parrish was smiling at the cub, his voice full of wonder and no small amount of longing. 

‘You know, you and Lyds will make gorgeous babies.’ Stiles remarked, winking at Derek. ‘Once we get her royal highness to wake up.’ When they both gave him blank looks he rolled his eyes and huffed at Erin. ‘You see what I have to work with?’

‘I do.’ Erin gave them a judgemental look. ‘Hello boys? Sleeping Beauty? I know you’re both tired, but this is basic pop culture.’

Derek looked at Parrish and then they both grinned at each other before turning back, fangs bared at the Sparks.

‘See that right there?’ Stiles snorted. ‘That is the sign of a brewing bromance.’

Derek considered what Stiles had said. He’d liked Parrish, what little he’d known of him before he’d left with Braedan, and he’d been nothing but helpful since he’d arrived with Scott’s pack. Having him as a friend wouldn’t be a bad thing, far from it. He had no idea of Parrish’s pack alignment, or even if he had one. 

‘He doesn’t.’ Stiles replied without looking around and Derek narrowed his eyes at him. 

‘What is he talking about?’ Parrish asked and Derek glared at his mate’s back. 

‘Nothing. We can talk about it later.’ Derek gave Stiles his meaningful eyebrows and Stiles snorted and went back to his mortar. A few minutes went by until Erin nodded approvingly. 

‘Give it a go.’ she said. ‘Remember your intent.’ 

Stiles bought the mortar over to Lydia’s bed cupped in his hands. He set it down next to her head and gently drew her hair back to reveal the terrible scarring at her temples. 

‘This must have pissed her off.’ he remarked. ‘She hates being out of control.’ 

‘It did.’ Parrish replied. ‘I was too late to stop it from happening.’ Guilt curled through his scent. 

‘Not your fault, dude.’ Stiles sat down and dipped his fingers into the contents of the mortar and they came out smeared in green and purple goo. Derek could see flower petals and other vegetable matter in it but the smell was unidentifiable. He watched Stiles coat the scars with it, then gently trace it along Lydia’s cheekbones, her eyebrows and the line of her delicate nose. AS he did, it started to light up blue until Lydia’s face was glowing. He moved on to her throat and her exposed collarbones, then her arms and hands resting on the covers. Finally he got up and flicked the blanket back to expose her feet and did those too. 

‘Wow.’ Parrish was fascinated. His eyes were glued to Lydia’s face, the glowing blur lines now connecting and moving across her skin. ‘What are you doing?’

‘Unlocking whatever shit was done to her.’ Stiles replied. ‘Banshees are far more fragile than other supernaturals and tinkering with their power never ends well. The trapanation was supposed to release her power without control, but all it really did was scramble things up. Hopefully this will realign her magic and bring it back. Once she gets it, it will heal her but be prepared for it to also change her. I have to bring it to its full potential, which means Lydia’s going to lose what humanity she has, for lack of a better word.’

‘I don’t care.’ Parrish’s green eyes were shiny with tears. ‘I just want her back.’

‘She’ll need you.’ Stiles looked over his shoulder and his eyes were violet. ‘She brought you back, now its your turn to do the same for her.’ He stood at the foot of Lydia’s bed and held out one hand. ‘Now I suggest you keep quiet for this bit. It’s going to take a lot of focus. Just think about how much you love her. I can use that to bring her back.’ 

Erin came over and took Talia. She gave Derek a smile and left the room and he moved to go stand behind Stiles. He knew it was important to be there and wrapped one arm around his waist. Parrish was at Lydia’s side, kneeling next to her and holding her hand. 

‘Ready?’ Stiles voice rang like a bell, the magic starting to crackle around him. Witchlight flickered along the bedstead and then it surged out of him with a force Derek had only experienced a handful of times. When Erin called Stiles a firecracker, she wasn’t kidding. It felt like Derek was being used as a conduit for an electrical charge. He felt his hair stand on end, his fangs dropping and eyes flaring against his will as Stiles drew on him for support and to stabilise his own energy. Parrish was in a similar condition, his skin darkening and cracking to reveal the hellfire inside him, eyes orange and fangs bared. 

On the bed, Lydia started to whimper. She shivered and twitched like she was hurting and Derek could smell the pain coming out of her skin. Next to her, Parrish snarled but never let go of her hand. He was fully transformed, the clothing burning off of his body, Stiles’ magic pulling it out of him. Derek could feel it too, shifting into beta form and holding on just as tightly. His whole body was burning with magic and he could feel it rising still further until Stiles released it and the whole room filled with blinding light. Through it came a scream, so loud and so terrible that it felt like Derek’s eardrums would burst. He gritted his teeth against it and finally it died away. When he opened his eyes he was amazed to see that Lydia was floating about three feet off the bed. Her long hair hung freely, pure white to match her open eyes, and she looked at all of them, her mouth curling in a smile. 

‘Thank you.’ she said and her voice reverberated around the room. ‘Took your goddamn time though.’ 

‘That’s my girl.’ Stiles grinned back at her. ‘You want to come down from there and stop playing Girl from The Exorcist?’

‘Maybe.’ Lydia turned to look at Parrish. She reached out to him and he moved to her, adoration etched into every line of his face. Lydia descended slowly until he could take her in his arms and kiss her frantically. It was devastating to see and Derek looked away. Stiles had no compunction though and he was grinning proudly at his handiwork. 

Parrish eventually set Lydia back on the ground and when they parted, his flames ebbed away and her eyes turned back to their regular green and the red bled back into her hair. 

‘Hi.’ She looked every bit as lovestruck as he was. 

‘Hi.’ Parrish smiled at her, his face now smeared with soot. He looked at her like she was the most precious thing in the world and their scents were fire and death and love and happiness all mixed up together. It was an odd combination. 

‘Hellhounds and banshees.’ Stiles came to lean into him. ‘Made to be together.’ 

‘Like Alphas and Sparks?’ Derek asked, nuzzling his hair. ‘That was something else to see.’ 

‘It was good to do.’ Stiles replied. 

**********

Noah came out of his deck door to stretch in the sun. He breathed in deeply, his wolf senses appreciating the scents of fresh air and sun baked wood. There was something else too, something that still clung to his skin and he tilted his head when he heard the sound of bare feet behind him. 

‘Good afternoon.’ he said and felt slender arms come around him, the warm sweet scent of Melissa’s skin and the residue of sex filling his nose. 

‘This feels very decadent.’ She ducked under his arm, wearing one of his t-shirts and Noah growled softly at their combined scents. He hadn’t had another lover since Claudia but being a wolf meant he could now appreciate the entirely other level of intimacy a wolf nose brought. 

‘We should probably tell the kids at some point.’ he said, nosing at her temple. The other selling point of being a wolf was the renewed urges he was feeling. No wonder Chris and peter went at it like rabbits.

‘Scott’s going to be suitably horrified.’ Melissa cackled. ‘He likes to think I have no bodily functions at all.’ She gave him a mischievous smile and tugged on his arm. ‘Now how about we go explore the wonders of your werewolf cock again? I’m not getting any younger here.’

‘Yes Ma’am.’ Noah replied and followed her back inside. 

************

Lydia was sitting up and eating a bowl of canned chicken noodle soup that Parrish had bought her from the kitchen upstairs. Thea was sitting next to her, taking her vitals (handily enough she didn’t need a stethoscope) and checking her over. 

‘You need to eat and get your strength back.’ she said. ‘I’ve got some vitamins as well which wouldn’t be a bad idea.’ 

‘I want to get out of this fucking bed.’ Lydia said. ‘Pardon my French, but I’ve been lying here for how long?’

‘A week.’ Stiles had his arms folded, deferring to Thea’s examination. ‘I’m sorry it took me so long but it’s been kind of busy around here.’ 

‘It’s okay.’ Lydia’s eyes were full of affection. ‘I should thank you for doing this for me. I haven’t felt this much like me since they took me to Eichen.’ 

‘It’ll take time though, so don’t wear yourself out just yet.’ Thea was stern. ‘Take it easy. You’re in no rush to go anywhere.’ 

Parrish looked at Stiles when she said that and Stiles knew exactly what was going through his head. 

‘You can ask.’ He knew he needed to be honest, regardless of whose feelings might get hurt. 

‘I want to stay.’ Parrish said, his chin lifted and his voice steady. ‘You can use me and I owe you for this.’

‘Not to sound like an ass, but I didn’t do it for you.’ Stiles said. ‘I did it for her.’ He looked at Lydia. ‘I’m sorry I left you.’

‘I’ll forgive you this once.’ Lydia replied. ‘But I’m Jordan on this. I want to stay with you and Derek. Scott’s …’ She trailed off, clearly torn. ‘He’s not as strong or as capable as he thinks he is. He trusts the wrong people. He makes mistakes.’ 

‘So does Derek.’ Stiles look turned appraising. ‘So do I.’  
‘I’ve always trusted you.’ Lydia replied. ‘Even when you were the Nogitsune, I trusted you not to hurt me. That part of you would fight against it. And I know that if you had been there for Valack, you would have never let him take me.’

‘I would have tried.’ Stiles replied. ‘I’m sorry for that too.’ He sighed and scrubbed a hand over his face, suddenly exhausted. ‘There’s a place in the pack for you, if you want it. Both of you. Derek’s already made it clear how he feels. But I don’t want to put you in a difficult position.’

‘I’m not.’ Lydia said and just like that the razor sharp mind that Stiles knew so well shone through like a searchlight. ‘I was never in Scott’s pack and neither was Jordan. I felt the call, Stiles. I just never allowed myself to follow it.’ 

Stiles frowned.

‘Why not?’ he asked and Lydia shrugged. 

‘Part of me was angry with you for leaving. Part of me wanted to be loyal to Scott because of Allison. But mostly so I could stay for Jordan.’ She looked at the hellhound and he smiled at her, encouraging. ‘You’re not the only one who fell in love.’

‘No.’ Stiles grinned at them. ‘I can see that very fucking clearly.’ He chuckled and then grabbed Derek’s arm. ‘Come on. I’m sure they don’t need us gawking at them while they catch up.’ 

‘Why does our relationship rest largely on you dragging me places?’ Derek protested but he followed anyway. 

They stopped in to check on Cora on the way up but ERin had put Talia back in with her and they were both sleeping while Zach dozed in the chair next to them. He opened one eye and gave them a little wave and went back to snoring so they left them and went outside. 

The sun was starting to dip and Stiles sidled in to rest his head on Derek’s shoulder. 

‘I’m tired.’ he yawned and Derek hummed and put an arm around him. 

‘We have until midnight to rest.’ he replied. ‘And you don’t need to do anything too strenuous for the naming.’ 

‘So sleep for a bit?’ Stiles asked and he nodded. 

‘What about them?’ he glanced back at the building. 

‘They need time to decide if being pack is what they really want.’ Stiles said. ‘But I also need to talk to Scott. There’s things we need to resolve that have gone on for long enough. AS angry as I was, I missed him too.’ 

‘I know.’ Derek kissed the top of his head. ‘Would you want to have him stay?’ 

‘Honestly, yes I would.’ Stiles replied. ‘We can use him. We can use his pack. And if you think I didn’t notice that my dad and Melissa snuck off post baby celebration, you clearly don’t know about my awesome powers of observation.’ 

‘I did.’ Derek grinned. ‘And at least you didn’t have to listen to them.’

‘Oh God.’ Stiles was horrified. ‘I know that he’s obviously had sex, I mean I didn’t just get dropped off by the stork, but it’s bad enough having to be confronted with his penis on a daily basis. I really don’t need to know that he’s using it for more than urination.’

‘I don’t get how you can be such a prude one minute and then tell me how you want to fuck me in great detail the next.’ Derek pointed out and Stiles rolled his eyes. 

‘That’s cleary completely different.’ he snorted. ‘Our sex life is …’

‘Something that Noah is also faced with more than he probably appreciates.’ Derek gave him a wry smile. ‘I think you forget how loud you are.’ 

‘Fine.’ Stiles huffed, folding his arms. ‘No Victoria’s Secret extravaganza for you tonight.’ 

‘Trust me, I can live with that.’ It was Derek’s turn to yawn. ‘You want to go talk to Scott about staying and the pack?’

‘Yeah, but let me go by myself.’ Stiles sighed. ‘I know we’re in the wild west here, but Erin would smack me if I failed to follow correct Emissary protocol.’ 

‘Okay.’ Derek gave him a gentle shove. ‘I’m going for a run back.’ He started stripping off his clothes and chucked them in a bundle at Stiles before dropping into his full shift and taking off into the brush. Stiles smiled and tucked the bundle under one arm and then heading off to find Scott. 

It wasn’t hard to track him down. He was in the room with his betas, all of them in their respective bunks and sleeping. Liam was flat on his back, still tired out after the night before and Corey and Mason were curled up together in a tangle of limbs. 

He went over and stood looking at Scott. He hadn’t changed as much as Stiles had imagined in his head and he gently shook him until Scott blinked open bleary eyes and frowned at him.  
‘Hey.’ He looked around him. ‘What time is it?’

‘It’s afternoon.’ Stiles said. ‘I thought you’d like to know that Lydia’s awake.’

‘She is?’ Scott struggled into a sitting position, yawning hugely. ‘She’s feeling better?’

‘I fixed her.’ Stiles told him. ‘She’s going to be much better, although I also untapped her powers so that’s going to be fun. I’m amazed you all managed to sleep through it.’ He knew he was fishing but Scott’s sheepish look told him everything he needed to know. 

‘I’ve never been able to feel her.’ he confessed. ‘And after you left and Valack, she might as well as have been completely gone for all I could sense.’ 

‘Her and Jordan want to stay.’ Stiles sat on the bunk next to him, back against the wall. ‘I’ve offered them a place in our pack.’ He watched carefully for Scott’s reaction, but all he got was a resigned sigh and then Scott nodded. 

‘I understand that.’ he said, his voice low. ‘We never really had any stability back in Beacon Hills and since we left, it’s just been getting worse. I know that I used to think I didn’t need anyone else, but I also know now that I was wrong.’ He looked at Stiles, his dark eyes full of sadness. ‘I was wrong, Stiles. I’m sorry.’

Stiles regarded him. He’d waited years and had countless fantasies about how this moment would go down. He’d had moments where he’d thought about every possible way he could show Scott that he had managed to live and thrive and rise above what had happened and the betrayal he’d felt. He’d also had moments in which he’d dreamed about revenge and making Scott cower with the realisation that Stiles was so much stronger than he was. Now though, he looked at his former best friend and all he felt was sympathy. It was hard being responsible for others, and for being stuck in a mindset that rigid that all you could see was your own righteousness. 

‘Stay here.’ he said and Scott blinked in surprise. ‘You’ve seen that Ben and Derek work well together, in spite of the fact that they’re both alphas. We could use the extra hands and once we’ve done some work with the Junior Woodchucks, they’ll be able to help fight properly. Derek and Ben won’t ask you to give up your status or absorb your pack, and we’ve got a spare Spark that needs a pack of her own. I think that if you give this all a chance, you could be happy with us.’

Scott was quiet and Stiles became aware that the betas had all woken up and were lying there listening to them. He waited patiently, knowing this wasn’t an easy decision to make. 

‘Scott.’ It was Liam. ‘For what it’s worth, I think this is a good idea.’

‘Us too.’ Mason added. ‘Not just because it could be a place for us to stay, but also because we like it here. It feels safer than anywhere else we’ve been.’

‘We know them.’ Corey said softly. ‘Stiles has always helped us.’

Scott took a deep breath, sounding choked. 

‘I know.’ He looked at Stiles, his eyes wet. ‘Since that first day in the woods. You helped me. You looked after my stubborn ass and I almost killed you on more than one occasion.’ His next breath was shaky. ‘If we stayed…’

‘We take it one day at a time.’ Stiles assured him, taking his hand and squeezing it. ‘We build those bridges again. We learn to trust each other again. And maybe I get my brother back.’ 

‘Okay.’ Scott whispered. ‘Okay.’

Stiles smiled and let Scott lean into him. It felt right in a way they hadn’t for a long time. 

‘Besides.’ He leaned his head on Scott’s. ‘Isaac would absolutely fucking kill me if I let you get away.’ 

Scott growled at the snickering from the other bunks, but his blush said everything. 

‘Fine.’ He wriggled closer to Stiles, just like they had when they were kids. ‘Then thank you. We’d like to stay.’

‘Oh thank fuck.’ Stiles breathed a sigh of relief. ‘Because I really don’t want to have to deal with the fact that our parents are fucking by myself.’ 

Scott did a double take, and Stiles laughed at how hilarious it was. He missed the days of his doofus best friend and all the shit they used to get up to. 

‘I know.’ he said. ‘It only took an apocalypse to get them together.’

‘Fucking typical.’ Scott muttered and slumped down on the bed. 

************

Hours later and midnight approached. The night was clear and the moon was bright enough to see, even without the tiny balls of light that drifted at the edge of the clearing. 

Cora stood with Zach, Talia in their arms and raised her up to the night sky. In front of them, Erin and Stiles stood and invoked the ancient pack blessings of Mother Moon and her special children and Derek felt a shiver go down his spine. The last time he’d been at a name blessing had been for his little cousin Jamie. She’d been three when the fire had taken her and he felt the twinge in his heart that always came with thinking about his family. 

Next to him, Peter gave a low growl and moved until their shoulders were pressed together. Luke did the same on the other side and Derek relaxed, safe and at ease with his Left and Right Hands. He waited for the ritual to be concluded, Cora and Zach giving the cub’s given name of Talia Margaret Sherman-Hale and her pack allegiance. Stiles dipped his fingers in the scented oil he was using and drew the sign of the moon on her tiny forehead and Talia sneezed at the scent of rose and lavender and flashed her eyes gold. That was Derek’s cue and he stepped forward when Stiles addressed him as Alpha, his eyes alight with power. Derek could smell it, thick in the air, and he took Talia from his sister. Their eyes met and he saw that she was every bit as emotional as he was, her tears barely kept in check. 

‘A new Hale.’ she said and Derek’s heart ached for their lost pack. 

‘I promise I’ll keep her safe.’ he replied and he meant it with everything he was. Nobody and nothing would touch a hair on Talia’s tiny head. ‘As her Alpha, I swear this.’ 

Cora nodded, her face fierce. She was so much stronger than he’d been at her age, all fire and determination. He often thought that had he ended up where she had, running for her life at age ten and separated from her pack, that he wouldn’t have made it. Next to her, Zach was grounding, calm and steady as a rock. They were good together and Derek knew they’d raise their cub to be a good wolf, a strong wolf. 

Derek stepped back and turned and then lifted Talia to present her to the pack. They all looked at them, eyes alight. Peter and Luke and Isaac on one side, Ethan and Jackson on the other with Chris and Parrish off to the side. As one they raised their heads and the howl went up, even from the human and the hellhound. It was an eerie beautiful wave of noise and Derek joined them in singing to the moon to welcome the cub resting in his hands. Out in the darkness another series of howls answered, acknowledgement of the Sherman pack. Talia was part of them too, her father the son of the Alpha who’d joined Derek’s pack when he and Cora mated but the ties were still strong and the alliance between them solid. 

When those howls died away Derek was about to speak when he heard one more. This was quieter, only two wolves singing and supported by a reedy human howl and the odd snarling call of a chimera. He looked to Stiles and got a knowing grin. 

‘Looks like we have some new allies.’ he said, the lights in his eyes dancing merrily. ‘You know, I’m actually a genius.’

‘I’m well aware.’ Derek deadpanned and kissed him over his newest pack member.


	12. Call Them Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time to call the pack home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is the last chapter of this part but definitely not the last in the series. I will be coming back once I've got my next plot bunny out of my head. If you're interested in that one, it's a high school murder mystery au (with werewolves!) where stepbrothers Stiles and Scott move to Beacon Hills and get involved with the bizarre series of murders that happen in the town while Scott chases after the daughter of the local hunter and Stiles falls for the withdrawn bad boy that lives in the woods with his family. I hope you'll come join me for that!!!
> 
> Thank you to all those who read, commented and left kudos :DDDDD I am eternally grateful and hope you'll come back.

The last bell rang and Stiles was up and bolting out the classroom like his ass was on fire. It turned out that school was actually a lot more fun when you had a functioning pack, no immediate threats and something to help you focus properly and he was happier than he’d ever been. His grades had skyrocketed him to the top of his class and after school hour were filled with track meets and blowing things up in the greenhouse, while his nights were spent lying in Derek’s arms and having more sex than he’d ever thought feasible. 

Luke had abandoned them to the small cabin overlooking the rocky beach below and moved in with Noah, claiming it better for his sanity. Noah had been a little sniffly at the prospect of his son moving out for the first time but he agreed that coming between an alpha wolf and his mate was something he really didn’t have the energy to do. The week after their mating and Derek’s reclamation of his alpha powers had been spent moving Stiles’ and Luke’s things between cabins and settling while attending the first week of school. Now it was three months later and everything was perfect. Derek was in intensive training with Ben to control his alpha wolf and learning the finer details of running a successful pack and Stiles was working on a very special project, which was about to culminate in an evening of ritual and hopefully something very special happening.

He found Zach, Kelly and the twins waiting for him at the parking lot. Stiles’ Jeep had once more become the preferred method of pack transportation and they all piled in to go swing by the diner for post school curly fries and chattering about their day while they waited for one of the adult pack to bring the boat and collect them. It was usually Erin so she could take him and Kelly with her to the greenhouse, or more frequently the Nemeton. He’d gotten to know the Tree well in the past three months and realised just how intricate the relationship between emissary and Nemeton was. He understood more now, how the twisted broken stump in Beacon Hills had obviously recognised him as a potential and tried to break him open and take the power from him. It also explained a lot about how Derek was the first time he became an alpha with no Emissary or Nemeton to guide and ground him and then why Scott had gone exactly the same way, power hungry and blind to the destructive forces manipulating him. 

Stiles couldn’t go back and fix the past, He couldn’t bring back Erica or Body, as much as he wished he could, but he could restore the people still left in Derek’s pack and maybe they could be more than just people scattered to the wind and their own devices. The Tree had been in agreement. It had taken to Derek as if he was the hereditary alpha and had informed Stiles that what they had planned was very much approved of. 

The younger pack members squeezed into the Jeep, Kelly trapped between the twins, and Stiles drove them to the diner. It was the mid afternoon lull and Mitch and Sil were jitterbugging in the open space to Elvis. They tried to drag Ellie and Ewan into the dance but everyone was hungry and in no mood to wait so they headed into the kitchen to make themselves lunch. Stiles was always amazed by the way the wolves ate and realised that it was par for the course. He took a seat in the booth the pack marked as theirs, the scent of the Sherman wolves clinging to the vinyl in spite of the cleaning. 

‘So.’ Kelly was perusing the menu, even though she got the exact same thing every time. ‘You ready for tonight?’ She had been part of the preparations and was just as curious about the whole procedure as he was. Stiles hummed agreement and idly scratched at his neck. The pack triskele had been done by Sil, hammered in the old fashioned way with magical ink provided by Erin. It thrummed with power, the bond he had with Derek fully cemented. Once he’d done the ritual, he hoped there would be others, faint silvery links stretching far and becoming stronger if the people they were connected to answered the call and came back to their alpha and their pack. 

He was quiet for most of the meal, lost in his own thoughts as the others laughed and roughhoused around him, Mitch flashing her eyes and growling when it got too out of hand. The tinkle of the door bell came with a familiar presence that instantly soothed him and Stiles looked up to see Derek. He was dressed for the cold, a thick down coat over his flannel shirt and with dirt smears on his jeans that told Stiles he’d been working outside. His stubble was a couple of days in, the dark shadow on his face threatening to become a beard and Stiles felt a shiver go down his spine, lust curdling in his belly. Derek’s mouth curved in a knowing smile as he came over, leaning on the back of the seat and moving down to kiss Stiles on the mouth, a now customary greeting that did nothing for Stiles’ hormones. 

‘Hi.’ Derek’s green eyes were warm with amusement, the bond between them starting to vibrate with his answering interest. ‘How was school?’

‘Good.’ Stiles met his eyes. ‘How was pulling out tree stumps?’

‘Invigorating.’ Derek’s voice was low and the wicked gleam in his eyes belied his calm exterior. ‘I can show you if you like.’ He hadn’t pulled back yet, crimson starting to bleed in around his pupils and Stiles’ breathing caught. He was powerless to resist a seductive Derek but thankfully, Mitch had no such qualms. 

‘Nope.’ She slammed a hand down on the table next to them. ‘People are actually trying to eat here.’ She nodded at the rest of the pack, all their noses wrinkled at what they could apparently smell. 

‘Fine.’ Derek’s grin was sharp and the red was now even more obvious. He glanced at Stiles’ half eaten fries. ‘Get those to go.’

‘No, wait a second.’ Stiles committed himself to the cause, eating frantically and finishing them in a couple of minutes before draining his soda and getting up. ‘I’m good.’ He grabbed his coat, struggling into it as Derek headed for the door. 

‘Don’t fuck on the boat!’ Ellie yelled after them but Stiles was already being dragged down the alley that ran alongside the diner and to the marina at the back. They made it halfway before he was slammed against the wall, Derek’s mouth insistent on his and claws pricking through the denim at his hips. Stiles moaned unashamedly and kissed back, opening his mouth and letting Derek practically devour him. He’d learned that the wolf inside his mate had very interesting kinks and licking out his mouth was definitely one of them. 

Derek growled in response, moving to pin Stiles against the wall with his body. His hands were roaming, working their way under Stiles’ shirt at the back and Stiles yelped at the exposure to the cold air. 

‘Asshole.’ he muttered when Derek let him come up for air. ‘What the hell has got into you?’

‘You hopefully.’ Derek’s brows quirked playfully and it was so odd to see him do that Stiles couldn’t help the laugh that escaped him. Then Derek’s words hit home and he gaped at him. 

‘Seriously?’ All the blood drained from his brain and headed south. 

‘Uh huh.’ Derek smiled, one hand coming down to cup Stiles through his jeans. ‘Of course we could always wait until we get back to the island.’ His grip tightened and Stiles whimpered at the pressure on his erection.

‘No.’ He was not ashamed to admit he might have squeaked. 

They ended up in the store at the back of the diner. It was used for canned goods and oil and Stiles swore as he tripped over a crate at the doorway because they hadn’t bothered to switch on the lights. Derek snickered and caught him, dragging him deeper into the small room until they collided with the wall. He caught Stiles’ face in his hands and pulled him into a another devastating kiss, sucking on Stiles’ tongue and moaning when Stiles went for his belt. Derek’s propensity for being fucked had been a very welcome surprise and he was a wonderfully pushy bottom so Stiles had to fend him off while he struggled with it in the dark. 

‘You have to let me…’ he made a triumphant noise as he got it undone and unzipped to find himself with a handful of rock hard cock, precome already making his grip slick. 

‘Fuck.’ Derek’s head thumped the wall, the glow from his eyes illuminating his face. ‘Just do me already.’ 

‘Shut up.’ Stiles spat into his hand and stroked fervently. Derek was leaking all over his hand, the wonderfully musky scent pervading Stiles’ senses. He was almost lightheaded with want, jerking Derek off until his mate was growling steadily, hips driving up into Stiles’ grip. His fangs had dropped and when Stiles rubbed a thumb under the head of his cock, Derek snarled and shoved Stiles back so he could turn around, reaching back for him and grabbing Stiles by the wrist to haul him in. Stiles bumped into him, protesting as he righted himelf and then started working Derek’s jeans down around his hips. They weren’t as tight as Beacon Hills days but it still took time to get them all the way down around his thighs. Stiles loved the feel of them, the flex of Derek’s muscles coupled with the thick hair that down from his navel to his cock. He took his time, dragging his nails up the inside of Derek’s thighs and stroking his cock until Derek was growling again. He had both arms braced against the wall, ass pushed back and his legs spread as far as he could get them. Even in the dark, Stiles could see enough to be hard enough to hammer nails and he stopped long enough to get his own jeans open and get his cock out. He fished for the lube packet Derek would have in his back pocket, a necessity when one’s mate had an affection for randomly pouncing in the great outdoors, and Stiles ripped it open with his teeth, spitting out the bit of plastic and using it on his cock. Derek’s body was beautifully responsive and he opened easily around Stiles’ slick fingers, taking them in and clenching tightly around them as Derek panted and pushed back into Stiles’ hand. 

‘Stop fucking around.’ he growled and Stiles resisted the urge to make a bad joke. Instead, he buried his fingers to the hilt and pressing up hard on Derek’s prostate. He’d learned a hell of a lot from his excursions into porn and the almost daily fucking they had done since their mating and when Derek whined, he smiled into his shoulder. 

‘Big bad slutty wolf.’ He nuzzled at the side of Derek’s neck, nosing the collar out the way so he could bite him. 

‘Fuck you.’ Derek moaned. He was fucking himself on Stiles’ fingers relentlessly, his back a sinuous line that showcased the perfection of his ass. ‘I want your cock in me.’

‘Jesus.’ Stiles was amazed that he hadn’t succumbed to a lack of blood to the brain. He dragged his cock up and down the crease of Derek’s ass, the head sliding through the lube and precome until it caught enough to ease in. Derek had his head down, muttering obscenities and groaning when Stiles bottomed out, working himself in as deep as he could go. Being fucked was amazing but getting to be balls deep in Derek’s perfect ass was something else entirely and he had to take a couple of deep grounding breaths to stop from coming. He put his clean hand on Derek’s shoulder, the other on his hip and eased out and in a few times to get the feel for it and work up his rhythm. Derek liked to be pounded to within an inch of his life and Stiles was still working on his stamina, the velvety heat threatening to undo him. 

‘Yeah, that’s it.’ Derek sounded drugged, his voice rough with pleasure. ‘Fuck me.’

‘Doing it.’ Stiles retorted a little snippily, starting to pick up pace. He couldn’t really see much, but the darkness only made it more intense. He could hear Derek’s claws scratching at the wall and smell the sweat on him, feel the barely restrained strength in his body as Derek moved in perfect counterpoint. He started to thrust, his own skin getting damp with sweat as he drove in hard and fast. One of Derek’s hands came down and Stiles had a fleeting intrusive thought about masturbating with claws before Derek bore down around him and snarled. 

‘Focus.’ he snapped and Stiles pulled at tongue at the back of his head and really put his back into it. He had to hold on tightly as Derek bucked against him, the sound of their bodies impacting loud in the confined space and mixed with their combined panting and Derek’s sporadic growls It was so good, the way Derek’s head tipped back as he started to come, the tremors of his body and around Stiles’ cock a dead giveaway before he climaxed. He wasn’t quiet, the roar he let out rattling the door in its frame and making Stiles wince through his own orgasm, the sound in his ears going muffled as he shuddered and hung on for dear life, the feedback loop rushing through the bond making him cry out, smothering the noise in Derek’s shoulder. He finally slowed, overstimulation making him hiss as he pulled out. Derek made a very satisfied sound and turned, pulling Stiles into a messy kiss that had exactly zero coordination in it. 

‘Hi.’ His eyes were like embers. 

‘You really have to stop doing this.’ Stiles groused, pulling up his jeans. ‘They’re going to bitch about how we smell all the way home.’

‘Don’t give a fuck.’ Derek was definitely pouting if the belligerent note in his voice was any indication. ‘I missed you today.’ He was in his clingy phase and Stiles gave up and let himself be cuddled. It was nice to be so loved and he snuggled into Derek’s arms and sighed happily. 

By the time they got themselves redressed and sorted out, the others were at the boat and waiting for them. 

‘You whores.’ Ellie smirked and Zach growled at her and slapped his hands over Kelly’s ears, glaring at them both when Kelly shoved him off. 

‘Like I don’t know what they were doing.’ she pointed out. ‘I live with our parents.’

Derek laughed, hopping over the side of the boat with an ease that never failed to surprise Stiles. 

‘Get the lines.’ he instructed and Zach moved to obey. Ewan did the same with the bow line while Ellie and Kelly went aboard and Stiles followed Derek into the wheelhouse, wrapping his arms around his waist and resting his chin on Derek’s shoulder as he started the ignition and steered the boat out the marina. 

‘I’m excited about tonight.’ he said and Derek grunted in reply, although it was decidedly less enthusiastic. He had been quiet about the decision to do the ritual but Stiles knew that was because he didn’t want to get his hopes up and he was frightened of the potential rejection. It was one thing to re-establish connections to pack that was family, but there were also others who weren’t and Stiles knew that Derek carried a lot of guilt about what had happened to Isaac and Jackson, even if they were doing well now. 

‘You know the spell won’t drag them back kicking and screaming.’ He had to put it out there again, feeling how Derek had tensed up. ‘They will only come if they choose to reaffirm the bond.’

‘I know.’ Derek sounded defensive and Stiles sighed and rubbed his face against his shoulder, his human version of scenting. 

‘You’re not the same person as you were back then.’ he reminded him. ‘We know a lot more about why you were like that now and, more importantly, you have me to ground you and guide you and you know I won’t steer you wrong. This is my pack too.’

‘I get that.’ Derek replied. ‘And I love you for being here with me to do it. I just…’ He trailed off and Stiles knew what he wasn’t saying. It was the same reason that it had taken their mating for Derek’s alpha powers to come back. The unconditional love Stiles had given him as part of their bond had made Derek realise that he was worthy, but he’d been slipping back into old securities at the thought of getting the others back too. 

‘You’re a good alpha.’ Stiles said. ‘You’re my alpha and I love you too. And they will come back. You need to call your pack home.’

Thea was waiting on the pier when they got back with the younger twins sitting next to her, all in their wolf forms with tails sweeping the planking. Zach and Kelly took off to chase their siblings and mother while Ellie and Ewan tied off the boat and followed, shrieking and hollering as they ran into the trees. Stiles disembarked and waited for Derek, taking his hand and bumping their shoulders together as they walked up. Normally they would hang around and have dinner with the pack as everyone else did, but tonight was a special night just for the two of them so they took their time and wandered out along the island’s western shore. It took about twenty minutes to get to their cabin, the weathered timber making it blend in with the trees around it. The front deck was now festooned with fairy lights, one of Stiles’ decorative touches, and they flickered to life as he passed. Inside the space was a little more domestic than it had been with Derek and Luke living there. Stiles had a new X Box and TV in the living area, a generator supplying the electricity. They slept in Derek’s bed and used the other room as a spare. There was an expectation that it might be used by a new pack member soon so it was kept clean and free of clutter. 

Stiles did his homework sitting on the floor between the couch and the coffee table, which was actually just a pile of pallets nailed together. He worked diligently while Derek made them penne arrabiata, setting his books aside when a plate was put down in front of him. They ate and chatted about odd things that normal people talked about. Stiles related the story of how his new school’s version of Greenberg had managed to set a laboratory bench alight during chemistry and Derek told him about the foxes in the north meadow and where they were denning. By the time their meal was finished though, Stiles could feel the tension starting to ratchet up again and got up. 

‘You need to relax.’ he told Derek, clearing their plates and going to wash them. 

‘I know.’ Derek grumbled, still on the floor. He toyed with his beer bottle, peeling off the label with a claw. ‘I’m just nervous.’

Stiles washed the plates and stacked them in the rack, then washed his hands again to make sure they were clean. He went into the spare room to the old wooden locker and took out what he needed. It had been a process of combining the right herbs and essences, using his spark to change their composition until he had a bottle of clear emerald green liquid that he would mix with his and Derek’s blood and then use to focus the power that held together and send it out to call the rest of the Hale pack back to them. 

They went out onto the deck and sat there around the fire pit, looking up at the sky for a while. It was perfectly clear, the stars brilliant points of light against the black, edging to deep blue at the horizon. Stiles stacked up some wood in the pit and set it slight with a wave of his hand and then took his seat on one side. Derek did the same on the other and they started the ritual. 

It wasn’t tricky, just needing the purest of intentions to make it work. Stiles uncorked the bottle and scattered the contents over the fire, then held out a hand to Derek. Derek took it, flicking out a claw and using the tip to very delicately prick Stiles’ finger and then his own. Stiles nodded and they flicked the beaded blood into the fire at the same time and it flared violently and then retreated, the flames now the same eerie green as the liquid had been. 

‘Now what?’ Derek asked and Stiles smiled at him, hoping to reassure. 

‘Think about them.’ he replied. ‘Think about the ones you want back. Hopefully if they hear the call and want to come back, it will show us. Then you call them home.’

‘Okay.’ Derek blew out a breath and seemed to curl in on himself as he closed his eyes. Stiles could feel his anxiety through the bond and sent his own calm back. Derek’s feelings eased and then he inhaled deeply and Stiles felt it. It was almost like someone tweaking a fishing line, a tiny tug on his senses. He fed it with power, fanning it from the smallest glow into something that started to burn bright and steady. At first it was a jumble of emotions and then it started to splinter into separate bonds. They were fragile things, as wispy as spider silk and barely tangible. Stiles focused, being careful not to overload the magic being spun out from them and into the night sky. Sparks from the green flames started to ascend, twirling in a graceful dance as they rose and spun into patterns, the threads following one each until they hung suspended above them. It was breathtakingly beautiful and Stiles was awed to see it had worked better than he had hoped. He could feel them now, feel the bonds starting to coalesce and strengthen. 

‘Derek.’ He kept his voice soft. ‘Open your eyes.’

Derek obeyed, his irises glowing red as he looked at the links suspended in the air above him. He gasped, and hope caught light inside him and soared through their bond. It was incredible to witness and Stiles felt his heart ache for how happy it made his mate to see.

‘Can you feel them?’ he asked and Derek nodded, a truly glorious smile lighting up his face. 

‘I can.’ he replied and together they tracked the individual lights. 

‘Peter.’ Stiles pointed to the brightest one. It had a blue cast to it and the strength of the bond surprised him a little, considering all their past history. 

‘Isaac.’ Derek indicated a muted white glow. It was almost shy, but as they watched it twinkle and dance for them. 

‘That’s Jackson.’ This one was as green as the sparks, the feel of it an odd mix of wolf and kanima. It was alien but not threatening in any way and another light hovered near it, a miniature bridge of light between its gold glow and Jackson’s green one. Stiles frowned and then grinned when he realised who it was and why it was familiar. ‘You’re never going to guess who that is.’

‘It’s Ethan.’ Derek sounded far too smug. ‘They’re mated.’

‘Spoilsport.’ Stiles laughed and took in the next one, also blue although it was lighter in hue than Peter’s. It also felt very different. ‘I’m not sure about that one but I guess there’s a reason it’s here.’

‘It’s Noah.’ Derek smiled. ‘You didn’t recognise it?’ 

‘No.’ Stiles stared in fascination. ‘How about that.’ 

‘Who’s that?’ Derek asked about a smaller orange light. ‘I can't tell who it is.’

Stiles tried to get a read on it but he couldn’t. All he got was a strange sense of space and time being distorted and that was interfering with his ability to read it. 

‘No idea.’ he replied. ‘Maybe someone you used to know?’

‘Maybe.’ Derek was staring at the last one, a soft smile on his lips. It had been the last to flare into life, but now it rivalled Peter’s for brightness and Stiles knew it was Cora, the way Derek’s tension disappeared making it clear what he’d been worrying about.

‘You thought she wouldn’t answer.’ he said and Derek shrugged.

‘She has her own pack.’ he replied and Stiles scoffed. 

‘You’re her brother.’ he replied. ‘You literally gave up your alpha power to save her life. She loves you. Why wouldn’t she come back?’

‘I have a lot to atone for.’ Derek said but it was devoid of the usual guilt. ‘I wouldn’t have blamed her.’ 

‘Shut up.’ Stiles blew sparks his way. ‘That’s my mate you’re talking about.’ 

Derek smiled at him and sat back on his hands, still watching the lights. 

‘So now what do I do?’ he asked and Stiles grinned in reply. 

‘Call them back.’ He got up. ‘Come on, we can do this down on the beach.’ 

Derek followed him and the lights came too, bobbing along behind them until they were down on the shingle. Stiles took Derek’s hand and squeezed it. 

‘You ready?’ he asked and Derek nodded, then tipped his head back. He took a deep breath and then started. Stiles had heard him howl for help, in pain and in pleasure, but this one was different. It was filled with longing and love and a deep loneliness that made him want to cry. It rose and fell and travelled far out, his magic giving it wings and sending it high into the darkness. When it died away, Derek took it up again and Stiles stood there and listened to him sing for his lost pack. The lights came to twirl around them and then, one by one, they took off into the sky and disappeared. Cora’s and Peter’s were the last, but they moved with the greatest purpose and Derek finally stopped when they were gone. He looked at Stiles with red eyes and hope all over his face. 

‘Did it work?’ he asked and Stiles moved to wrap an arm around his waist and kiss him, feeling the bonds starting to catch hold in his mind. 

‘It worked.’ he replied. ‘They’re coming home.’


End file.
